Let us be brave
by screeds
Summary: "So when are you going to ask her out?" "I'm not going to ask her out." "Why not?" "I think she has been most decisive last year when she told me she'd rather date the Giant Squid, don't you think?"
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello everyone who reads this. As you can see yourself I decided to give another try to a Marauders Era fanfiction. This time, though, it is not a particular ship I am focusing on, but on the entire generation.

Now, there is also something else I would like to clear up: many of the characters **are **canon, **but **there is few we know of them (e.g. Dorcas Meadowes, Caradoc Dearborn, Regulus Black, Marlene McKinnon; James and Lily count as such characters as well in some cases.), and therefore I will develop their characters as I imagine them to be. If their character doesn't match your expectations, then I am deeply sorry, but I will not change anything about the plot or personages.

**If **there are some things I changed, like dates of deaths, places etc., I will inform you as such. If, however, I make a mistake of any kind, I don't mind you informing me of it, only don't get too insistent.

(You should also note that I don't usually write such longs notes.) I don't claim to update fast, but I do hope the waiting will be worth it.

**Disclaimer****:** Everything goes to Queen Rowling; I own nothing.

Don't forget that I don't bite – at all – and that I enjoy reviews as much as I enjoy cinnamon ice cream, and trust me, I **love **cinnamon ice cream. Therefore, if you are so kind, and you have thoughts and feelings about this fic, do fill me with some feedback.

**Additional Note:** A big Happy Birthday to my best friend Evie. I hope you have a nice one. This entire fic is a present to you and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.

* * *

***Chapter 1***

**_1._**

The weather was different in this country. It was nothing like the torrid summer days in Egypt. Here it rained constantly and people were wearing funny clothes, she observed. Everything was new about this country, even the trees and the smell floating around the thin air. The sky had a different colour, a bright, cold blue. _'Cold'_ was the perfect word to describe this unknown country.

Nero had asked for her help and she obeyed at once. Salacia was grateful for all he did for her: how he saved her from the orphanage, how he'd been kind to her when everyone else ignored her; she couldn't have possibly refused.

And he brought her with him to England. He had a plan; she didn't know what it consisted of, but she was eager to help him. She already knew he wasn't her real father. Salacia never looked up to him as to a father, she always considered him so much more. A Master. Someone she had to listen to, someone powerful, who deserved one's entire attention.

"Come now, child", he told her and it made her start. He didn't belong in the British landscape either. His long, brown cloak was brushing the ground as he walked down the path.

She raptly followed his steps.

"You remember what I told you, kid?"

"If anyone asks, I am your daughter. If they don't ask, I'm still your daughter."

"Very good." His tone was relaxed, but his eyes were scrutinizing the surroundings. "Now we are here because …"

"Because mother died of a terrible illness and because we wanted to forget, we moved to Britain, so as to start a new life."

"Good. We will open our shop before school starts, understood? And you will work on the preparation of Potions, just as I taught you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir", this she said with determination.

"And you will _never _talk to any of the Hogwarts' students, unless I tell you so."

"Of course", Salacia agreed, nodding.

"Good. That's our new house."

He pointed in the direction of a small building. There was a closed shop downstairs and upstairs, as she presumed, was their new home. She had never had a stable home and for a second she wondered what it was actually like.

"Do you promise to follow my lead, girl?"

She raised her dark eyes at him.

"I promise."

* * *

There was nothing she could find shelter in when her brother and father were fighting. The sound of their shrill voices made her hackles rise. She knew the reason of their fight, yet there was nothing she could do to stop them. _Bollocks_, she thought, _there is always something one can do to avoid disputes. _The problem was they would never let her help.

Angela Meadowes, Dorcas' beloved mother, had fallen sick at the beginning of spring. They kept it all a secret from her and when she came home for summer holidays she had to face the ugly truth. The only remedy that kept her alive was a very expensive potion. A potion they couldn't afford anymore. Her mother needed a new bottle of Potion every week and they were currently poverty-stricken.

Someone once said that _"nothing kills the spirit like poverty." _

For a long time, Dorcas refused to believe such nonsense, but now, that she had to feel the terror of poverty on her own skin, she knew exactly what those words truthfully meant.

Once their vault was emptied of any knut left, the quarrelling started.

Matheus, her brother, insisted that they couldn't go on like this forever. Her father, driven mad by his love for his wife, would never accept to see her die. And then there was Dorcas, split in two. She knew her brother was right, and if conscious, her mother would disagree with what her father was about, but she empathised with him too. He loved her and seeing someone you love die, knowing that you could've helped, was a dreadful feeling.

She crawled into a ball and closed her eyes. She refused to hear them fight any longer. But their piercing voices were reverberating through the walls of her room. She couldn't avoid them. Not anymore. Tears were streaming down her face and she wanted to run away, go to Lily's and have a great time with her friend, forget all about her family, but she couldn't.

_What would Lily do?_

"She would try and help, that's what she'd do", Dorcas whispered to herself.

_Then that's what you should do. Do the right thing_, the voice in her head replied.

"But the problem is … I don't know what the right thing is. I know what would be noble. Noble would be if I would find myself somewhere to work and I would send the money home. But who would hire a sixteen year old? And how much could I even earn?"

_Enough to keep them away from starving. _

The Gryffindor flung her eyes open. Maybe it wasn't the right thing, but if that was going to stop them from fighting, then it seemed enough right to her. There had to be a place in Hogsmeade where she could engage in some work; she was, after all, a smart and hard-working young woman.

* * *

Sirius sat by the small pond near the Potter manor, left alone to his thoughts. His contemplations were still meditating on the night he'd run away from home – if one could only call 12 Grimmauld Place a _home_. But then again, he had considered that building his home for over sixteen years. And when he had daydreamt of his escape out of the old Black House, he pictured it being a victorious moment; it was nothing like that.

He fled sometime at midnight, like a convict out of a prison. He left in the silence of the night and found refuge at the Potter manor, where he'd been most welcomed.

The entire pure-blooded community hated him by then, him being a blood traitor by turning his back at the purification of blood _and_ his own family. But he didn't care about that. His concerns were purely directed towards the one person in 12 Grimmauld Place that could still be saved from his family's brainwashing.

Regulus, just like his brother, was a stubborn person, yet much more loyal to his family than Sirius. Never had they been close, but what neither of them believed was that he was really familiar with his brother and if there was something he was sure of, it was that Reg wasn't yet lost. He could still be saved and moved on to the right side.

At the thought, Sirius let an expressive, barking-like laugh escape his lips.

"You alright, mate?"

"Prongs. Didn't hear you come."

"Well you seemed lost in thoughts. Tell me, is maturity striking you?"

"James", Sirius imitated Mrs Potter's affectionate voice, "I think you take me for Remus. I refuse to become a mature person. Maturing is boring," he declared decidedly.

James grinned, but pressed the matter nonetheless.

"What were you thinking of so deeply, then, if not matters of life and death?"

Sirius frowned. He trusted his friend a great deal; they were like brothers. And yet, he came to the decision of not telling James what his thoughts on Regulus were.

"I reckon I'd look brilliant in a beard", he said instead.

"A beard?", James repeated, not being able to grasp the idea.

"Well a beard is that thing –"

"Don't pretend to be clever, Padfoot", he advised. "Why would you want a beard?"

"Girls like beards", Sirius affirmed with the air of a know-it-all.

He knew he could save Regulus from becoming a Death Eater. He had to.

And whatever James was saying, this didn't mean he was maturing, was he?

But for now, he had to think of a way to befriend his brother.

It wasn't just a wish, it was a necessity, an obligation he had; _it was a promise he'd made ten years prior._

* * *

He knocked three times on the door, before his father responded.

"James."

Opening the door, "Mom said you wanted to talk to me."

"Yes", Mr Potter said.

James sat down on the sofa, so as to face his father. He had no idea what this would be about, but he didn't much struggle to find out. His father had always offered him a lot of liberty and he had never been punished for anything, however major his faults were.

"Listen, James, you're sixteen now."

Prongs questioningly raised his eyebrows. When his father said nothing more, he said:

"I can't see where you're pointing at, dad."

The older man sighed, taking his glasses off.

"There will come a time when you'll have to act like a grown-up, James. And war is coming."

"One week ago you said there wouldn't be a war."

"It has already started, boy. I understand you're young and I know what you might think, that I am vile and I try to stop you from living your youth years, but I'm not. I'm just trying to make you see the world as it is. Like I said, there will come a time when you'll have to act maturely, when pranks and other sorts of jokes will be nothing but childish behaviours, and that time is approaching, James."

James didn't disagree.

"One day you will have a family of your own, and a wife and maybe a son and you'll have to act _mature_ for them, to take the right decisions, and you have to be prepared for that moment."

Again, James remained silent, not looking at his father.

"I don't want you to change into somebody else, James. Dark times lie ahead and if you'll have to face them, I want you ready."

The boy stared at his father for a brief second, until his father teased:

"Don't look at me like that, son. _Say something_."

James folded his eyebrows into a furrow as he tried to think of something worth voicing.

"You know I'm not going to have a family of my own very soon, right?"

"Well of course you won't; you first need to introduce us to your girlfriend."

"Too bad I don't have one, then", James laughed.

"What about the redhead you used to fancy?"

At this question, James' smile faded away a little. "Lily … she doesn't like me."

"Why so?"

"She says I'm an 'immature git.'"

"Well …", Mr Potter pointed out, ironically. "And what are you going to do about it?"

"Give up, I s'pose. I can't wait all my life for her to get to like me."

"_Give up?_", the man questioned surprised by his son's answer. "Oh, no. You're a Potter, James. We do _not _give up."

"But everything I tried, failed."

"So? You're going to give up after every failure in your life? _No. _You're supposed to learn from your failures. Because failing is good, failing is gaining knowledge of life. What you have to do is to try again, to fail again, but to fail better every time."

"I asked her out like a billion of times, dad. She just keeps throwing insults at me."

"Let me get this straight. _You _were a complete angel, helping everyone out, being kind to all of your class mates, and you came to like this girl, so you asked her out and she began to offense you?"

"No, no, it wasn't like-"

"So you weren't exactly innocent, were you?

"I've never said such a thing. It's just … you always said I shouldn't change just because other people want me to."

"But she never asked of you to change. She simply pointed out some truths."

At this, the young man had no response, so yet again he found himself remaining silent.

"I know it sounds frightening, but maturation is not so bad. It's like an adventure. And eventually we all get to live it."

James nodded. He didn't know what to say.

"Come on, now, cheer up a bit. Go back to Quidditch. I reckon Sirius is waiting for you", the older man said, a smile brightening his features. "But do give some further thought to what I told you, son."

Again, James nodded and left the room in awkward silence. He had already thought of it; he'd been thinking of it since the beginning of summer. It was time to grow up.

* * *

The first time he'd met the Dark Lord, he'd been frightened to say the least. The second time, he was already given a mission. After that third meeting, he had lost track of them.

Waiting for his Master to come, he tried to remember each of the encounters, but his memories were a sea of vague reminiscences. The man knew this time he will be empowered with an admirable task. He was already imagining himself being the Dark Lord's right hand.

"Icarus." Voldemort's sheer voice resounded through the walls of the small house, waking him up from his train of thoughts. The man named Icarus raised his eyes just in time to see his Lord stepping in the room.

"My Lord." He knelt in admiration, but was soon interrupted by the new arrival's voice.

"Spare me of your sweet nothings."

Icarus nodded and waited for his master to speak again.

"You will be a teacher at Hogwarts. And you will train those who choose the right side, to become Death Eaters. By the end of the year, I want you to bring me good news, Icarus. If you don't, I'm going to be very", Tom Riddle went on, his voice cold as ice, but his tone barely audible, "very disappointed. You don't want your Lord to be disappointed, do you?"

His last question made the other shudder with fright.

"No, Master", he consented.

"Good. You will leave on the first of September, along with the students. You will have to play a good role, you will get along with all your students and you will also stay near Dumbledore. I need to know what he is planning. Dumbledore is planning something against me."

"What will I teach, my Lord?", he raised his eyes, but dared not look at the Dark Lord.

"Defence Against The Dark Arts. If you fail, Icarus, I shall remind you that your sister will have to suffer and so will you. Do _not _disappoint me."

"No, my Lord."

"Vow, Icarus; do as I say and you will be rewarded. You will get what you most desire for."

The man's watery eyes widened in surprise, as he bent down once again.

"I promise, my Lord, I _swear_."

Tom Riddle's lips curled up in what seemed to be the shadow of a smile.

**_2._**

"Has anyone seen the cat?" a voice echoed through the girls' dormitory.

"I can't find my skirt!" another one yelled.

"Will you two be quiet for one second? I need to finish my essay. I need to get down to this essay before breakfast."

"I _need_ my skirt", the girl whined once more.

"Wake up!" addressed the fair-haired Marlene McKinnon, yanking the bedclothes off Dorcas Meadowes' bed.

"And you think anyone could possibly be able to sleep in this hullabaloo? It's not as if you would all be like birds chirping smoothly on a musky September morning." the girl named Dorcasreplied reluctantly, throwing a pillow at one of the girls.

"No need to be so gleeful, Meadowes."

"Where is that cat?" Kimmers shouted. "Atticus!"

"It's a cat, _not _a dog, idiot. If you call after him, he _won't _come", said Mary MacDonald, whilst digging under a mountain of rumpled clothes. "Has _anyone _seen my skirt?" she asked for the third time that morning. "_Lily!_ We're quailed! Would you leave off your precious lecture for a moment and help us out?"

Lily Evans, the red-haired Gryffindor prefect, and, as it gave the impression, the only one to be relaxed of the whole group, didn't even look up from her volume as she spoke: "The skirt is under your bed. And as for the cat, I reckon it's hiding under Mary's bed too; an action which I can't condemn him for; you lot are really alarming me sometimes – especially early in the mornings."

"Lovely."

"Oh, we can't appear to be all that bad," Marlene laughed.

"My cat!" The petite brunette, whose name was Kimmers, darted at the bed, throwing her arms around something that scarcely looked like a feline, but more like a huge ball of mousy fur.

"It's not _your _cat only, Kim. It's _our _cat too." Dorcas had a serious look upon her pale face as she spoke. "And don't even get started with the whole 'Kimmers is the one who came across the cat in Hogsmeade last year' because, despite the fact that she has really done so, _who _is the one who fed Atticus every day? _Who _ensured he had a warm comfortable pillow to sleep on? _Who_ unsnarled his fur every time he needed?"

"Well _I _did, "Lily replied, honesty resounding in her nice mellow voice. Atticus, who was now seated on Kimmers' cosy bed, meowed in approval.

"Fair enough. See, Kim? It's our cat too."

The girl simply shrugged and, smiling, resumed her dull occupation of shoving her textbooks into her schoolbag.

"C'mon, now, Doe, everyone here knows you dislike cats about as much as Marlene hates Black's beard", Mary's thrilling cackle resonated from within the bathroom.

"Someone needs to cut that boy's moustache in his sleep. I'd go on a date with the person who would have the guts to do it."

"I was going to accept the challenge, but then I decided to leave this honour to some noble bloke instead," Alice Smyth, who proudly finished her homework, noticed.

"_That _is not true", Dorcas began, changing the topic back to its initial origin. "I love cats-", she continued, but was soon interrupted by a collective guffaw of her room mates. "But it is really true! I love cats – _from afar_."

"Well, I bet Atticus loves you from afar too."

"Who named him 'Atticus' anyway?"

"Lily did," both Marlene and Mary responded automatically.

"Is there something you didn't do for this cat?"

"We'd better leave for breakfast now, until _Republic of Rwanda _returns. Or would you like to see her face so early in the morning?"

"You're being mean, Dorcas", Lily said, yet she was the first one to leave the dormitory, followed closely by Kimmers, who bid her cat a goodbye and ran after her friend, a joyous smile brightening her features.

Rwanda Peers was a feeble-minded girl who claimed to have been christened under the name of 'Rwanda', even though no one believed a parent would name their child after a Republic in Africa. She had a deep voice and pale straight hair that would cascade down her back to her waist. Most of the students knew her for her reputation of being a slow-witted tart. She would boast around about all her feelings and wouldn't give a damn on what people thought of her; she enjoyed a good gossip, but even so, people would still continue to like her – well, some of the people.

"I wouldn't worry about meeting Rwanda anywhere near the Great Hall; you know she's on that special diet where she eats nothing, she just stares at food and when she decides her appetite is gone, she just leaves the table."

"That is idiotic, even coming from Rwanda", Mary said in an undertone.

"But I don't understand."

"What's the matter, Kim?" Lily, like the good friend she was, asked.

"How can you _not _eat?"

"You should really ignore Rwanda's bird-brained ideas." Dorcas stated with a dramatic rolling of her grey eyes.

"I'm not listening to what she says - she's a bit off her trolley anyway - I was just trying to comprehend how one could sit at a table, stare at all that deliciously appetizing food and … not eat. She should have some respect for food, that's what I think."

The lot of them gave a cheerful laugh. Their friend was known around the place for her craze – although it was more of a passion – for food. There was only one person who would share her obsession, but more on that subject, later.

The Marauders were up unusually early on that morning. Remus Lupin, the other Gryffindor prefect, was engaged in what seemed a remarkable discussion with the Quidditch Captain, James Potter. Sirius Black was presumably storytelling one of his fascinating adventures – although no one was really listening – while the last member of the group, Peter Pettigrew, stirred for such a long time in his bowl that the nourishment no longer looked edible, but more like a sickening gruel.

"Moony, will you hand me your schedule?" Sirius inquired, after he was done with his story.

"Why would I? You have one of your own, Sirius."

"Correction, my friend. I _used _to have one, I don't anymore."

Remus's eyes were now fixated on his mate.

"Should I bother to ask what vile torture the poor sheet of paper went through?"

"I made a paperdragon out of it during Divination", Padfoot answered, yawning, obviously bored by the discussion.

"Yeah, why are you still taking that class anyway?"

"I wouldn't expect you to understand", Sirius said, acting as if insulted, "you never possessed the Sight."

Both James and Remus shook their heads in disapproval, while Peter was slowly drowning in a mere slumber, head on the table.

"It's scary to know there are people who still practice ovomancy", Sirius went on, more like talking to himself than to the others, "Ovomancy is a method of divination using eggs, but I guess you geniuses already knew that."

"It's scary to know you actually pay attention in that class."

"Why are you staring at me like that, Moony?"

Remus, who'd been watching Sirius closely for what were five minutes, finally looked back down at his food. "I'm trying to understand whether you are a fool or just pretend to be one."

"I'm not going to honor you with an answer. But in the meantime, you could give me your schedule."

"Why don't you get James'?", Remus questioned, biting out of his toast.

"Because I already borrowed his yesterday."

"You didn't borrow my schedule. You stole it without even asking."

"Well that's what stealing is. Imagine if every thief would ask for permission before stealing. Really Prongs, you're my mate and all that, but I sometimes question the existence of your intelligence."

"I think that what James actually meant Sirius, is that you usually announce when you are to steal something; this time you didn't."

With a roll of his eyes, Sirius turned around to face a sleeping Peter.

"Wormtail, wake up! Wake up. You can have my croissant if you like", Sirius meant to lure him, fluttering a croissant near his nose.

"Food?", Peter raised his head, looking still as if he hadn't slept in ages.

"Yes, food, but if you want food, you have to give me your schedule."

"I can't Sir", he yawned, "-ius, remember? You burnt mine last night, because you were bored. Can I have that now?"

Sirius pushed the plate with the croissants away, and Peter served himself, a smile forming at the corner of his mouth.

"So, Moony, you're my last rescue."

"We have Defense next."

"See? It wasn't so hard. Oh, James, don't look, your ginger queen just entered the hall."

James almost mechanically turned his head around to watch Lily and her friends walk to the Gryffindor table.

"I said don't look."

"You're an idiot, Padfoot", Prongs laughed.

"So when are you going to ask her out?", the Gryffindor questioned without a hesitation.

"I'm _not _going to ask her out."

Peter, who was sipping on his pumpkin juice, listened to the conversation with enormous interest.

"Why not?"

"I think she has been most clear last year when she told me she'd rather date the Giant Squid, don't you think?"

Sirius sighed.

"It's not your fault mate", he took a deep breath before he went on, "that you don't have the appeal of a squid." Sirius friendly tapped his friend's shoulder and then went back to eating, as if nothing happened. James, however, was still looking at Lily.

"I'm going out-", he stopped in midsentence as he caught glimpse of a second year staring at him with curiosity reflected in his small pig-eyes, "to catch some butterflies."

"I wanna catch butterflies too", a still sleepy Peter announced.

The three of the Marauders started laughing, and it took a while until they calmed themselves down.

"Peter, you don't smoke", Remus informed him, with a grin.

"Oh, is that what cool people call it now? 'Catch butterflies'?"

The laughter resumed and it ceased to stop only after James had left the Great Hall.

"My Sight tells me Lily and James are going to get married one day. Wanna bet, Remus?"

"I'm not betting anything."

"You're afraid you're going to lose."

"He knows he's going to lose. Everyone one knows that", Peter admitted.

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. Initially, it was much longer, but I decided to trim it in two parts. Let me know what you think.

- R.


	2. Chapter 2

***Chapter 2***

**_1_**

**A/N: **Hello, reader(s). I know you want my head because it took me so long to update this fic and I understand, but heeey (!) I have a good excuse prepared (an excuse which you will condemn to be a cliché and therefore you'll win and I'lll lose): I had exams, test and other stuff going on at school. I was also very busy reading a lot of amazing books and proccrastinating. As promised, this chapter is longer than the previous one (it's 24 pages in MS Word, it's a new record for me, hurrah!), but you'll probably say it's not long enough, but remember something very important: easy reading is damn hard writing so bear with me, please. I'm not going to resume the previous chapter, since nothing much happened, I just introduced you to my characters and the Marauders Era in general. (If you can't remember who the characters are, it won't be bad to re-read the first chapter)

**Disclaimer:** Everything goes to JK Rowling (~~ although some ideas figuring in this and the chapters to come are my own ideas la la la~~)

**Thanks to:** **mibamonster** for having the patience to edit this fic (Thank you so much!), Evie for moral support and a special praise to R'Hllor for making the GoT soundtrack exist (actually Ramin Djawadi created it, but I like the way R'Hllor sounds, so I'm gonna stick to that)_  
_

* * *

The classroom was silent and Icarus asked himself if the students felt intimidated by his presence or were simply eager for the class to start. He liked to think it was the former.

There was nothing special about being a professor; he decided that after only three days of teaching. If he were to be honest with himself, he would admit that it's quite a thorough occupation.

Taking in his new students, it occurred to him that none of them had ever fought a real duel, none of them knew what lied outside Hogwarts' castle walls, but they were all eager to fight a war. Half of the students in today's class were assigned to be taught the Dark Arts, just like his Master told him to.

They had a special place for their lessons; a place no one knew of. He smiled to himself as he leaned in his chair. When he opened his mouth to speak, all the pairs of eyes in the class were directed towards him.

"If you didn't figure out yourselves until this moment", he said, waving his hand dramatically, "I am your new Defence against the Dark Arts Teacher."

A girl with protuberant eyes was staring at him from her seat. Feeling exposed under her sight, he turned his attention to the other side of the classroom, deciding he didn't like the girl.

"Now, I'm not sure what or how all your other teachers have taught you before, but, in my class, those course books are of no use."

The sound of books being dropped back in schoolbags dominated for a minute.

"Now: everyone up. We'll be practicing some basic duelling spells today. Well, you raise, I'll just sit here. That legend about the teacher who gets the most comfortable chair proves to be true; I will not waste such a seat."

The silence was broken by unanimous laughter.

"I will choose who works with whom." No one seemed pleased with the teacher's announcement, but none of the students complained.

After half an hour of seeing children throw spells at one another he decided they were all disasters. He remembered what the Dark Lord had told him, "Pretend to be the perfect teacher, make them adore you. Teach them what none other has; make them feel fulfilled with themselves. It's a war, we don't want to fight the weak, we want real opponents."

"Stop, stop", he commanded and everyone obeyed. "You're all doing it wrong, it gives me a headache. That is not how you duel. We're not beasts, we don't throw a storm of spells at our opponent, you have to cheat-"

"Cheat?" asked one.

"Yes. Your opponent will never honour you with a fair duel. And what you need to do is cheat his eye. Play, give him false directions, deceive him! Duelling is not a fight, it's a play. It's all about acting."

A blonde girl, Dorcas Meadowes, raised her hand.

"Yes?"

"What if we don't know how to act?"

"You will learn or you will lose. Your choice."

She nodded in response.

"If you are obedient and listen to what I have to teach you, you will probably learn how to trick your opponent. All I ask of you is attention. First we bow, before we start a duel. This way, we show respect to our adversary."

"What if we don't have any respect for our enemy?" James Potter asked.

Icarus shook his head in disapproval.

"That is unlikely, Mr Potter. Show respect to your enemy, and you will already prove him that you are better than he is."

James looked as if he wanted to argue the point. However, he did not reply.

"Now that we've cleared this matter too, I want you all to bend in front of your partner."

It took a while until all the students did as they were told. The stubborn ones just ducked their heads a little. Icarus made a mental note to insist on that part.

"And now – we dance!", he announced.

"We – what?"

"We waltz and duel, all the same. No, no, don't look so exasperated, you have to keep a certain distance from your partner. At my signal, everyone bows. At my second signal, you all waltz, understood? You will understand that, though it seems foolish now, dancing will teach you to follow your enemy's every move, first trick to confuse him."

Looking at their faces, all he could see was a sea of students who took him for a lunatic. He shook his head, sighing.

"Start!"

**_2_**

Lily Evans woke up early that morning. But that was a part of her daily schedule. She _always_ woke up early. Even during the weekends.

She silently slipped out of her four-poster, grabbed some comfy, warm clothes and went for the bath to take a shower and change herself.

She was combing her long ginger curls, when a sleepy Dorcas stepped into the bathroom without knocking. Seeing Lily, her eyes widened in surprise, and was about to turn around and leave, when Lily's voice stopped her.

"I'm almost done here. No need to walk away, Dory."

Dorcas might have nodded; Lily couldn't tell. All she could see was the blonde Gryffindor reflected in the mirror as she was yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"Went late to bed?"

Lily's attempt at a conversation was met by silence.

"Dorcas, I can't talk to myself!" she complained, running the brush through her hair. "Say something."

"Next time I attempt to finish homework on a Friday night, Lily, please hit me with Hogwarts: A History." The girl yawned again, resting her head against the wall, while she sat on the marbled floor.

"How's your family?" said Lily, eager to change the subject. She was still watching the mirrored image of her friend. Dorcas was doing the same from behind.

Lily always considered her a pretty girl. Not the Marlene or Mary kind of pretty, more like her own kind of pretty. Others might've said she was fairly simple, but it was the simplicity, thought Lily, that actually gave her all that appeal. She was rather short for her age, with pretty curvy forms that suited her body perfectly. She wore her golden, curly hair short and the little make up she put on was rarely noticeable. Her green-grey eyes always reflected the girl's feelings (it's how Lily came to truly understand her roommate) and she always had the air of someone who knew something everyone else didn't.

_She's not tired because she's been up late_, Lily observed for herself, lowering her eyes to her hands_, She's tired because she's worried_.

As she expected, Dorcas didn't reply. She was silent, staring into the window, without really looking at it, but she eventually spoke.

"Same as I left them, I suppose."

Lily nodded, and for a moment was tempted to turn around and hug her friend. But then she remembered it was Dorcas Meadowes whom she was talking to. Dorcas never fancied any kind of physical interaction – especially hugging.

"I applied for a job at the new apothecary in Hogsmeade", Dorcas added quickly, meeting the reflection of Lily's green eyes in the mirror.

"And?"

"Dunno," she said, shrugging. "The man said I ought to come by the apothecary again tomorrow."

"I'll come with you", Lily said, finally turning around. "Are you coming to breakfast?"

"Yeah, just get out, I need to get a shower."

Lily smiled, and with a nod, she left the bathroom.

When Dorcas exited the bathroom fifteen minutes later, she wore a smile on her face.

All dressed and ready for breakfast, the two Gryffindors grabbed their books and headed for the Great Hall.

Once they left the silent dormitory, Lily said: "What a beautiful day, don't you think so, Dory?"

Dorcas grinned. "Lily, you consider every day to be a 'beautiful day'."

"That's not true", argued Lily.

"It is though. Remember that time there was a storm that lasted at least three days and everyone was morose and uncommunicative? You were all cheery and talkative. I almost felt like locking you alone in a room, for your own good, dear."

"Nice." Lily rolled her eyes, letting out a laugh. "But it is a nice day. You're about to get a job, I'm about to have breakfast and Merlin knows I'm starving! As for the remains of the day, I have a feeling it's gonna be an interesting day."

"I don't trust your presumptions", Dorcas said, looking sceptically at her friend. "There's a reason you failed Divination, you know that, right?"

Lily gave out a snort.

"As far as I can remember, Dorcas Meadowes, you didn't do any better in the subject."

"Maybe, but I am not Lily Perfect Evans", said Dorcas, smirking.

"Oh, shut it!"

"Oi, look!" She pointed in the direction of an old man, who carried some chains around with him, "Filch planning to torture us with chains! I think your predictions definitely come true. This day is _definitely_ getting better."

* * *

Marlene McKinnon hated mornings and everything that involved them.

She loved the sunrise, but abhorred mornings with a burning passion. It was not that she was an eccentric person – she really wasn't one – it was just that whenever she woke up early in the morning misfortune followed her like a pest.

This was why, when she awakened on the unpleasantly cold September morning, Marlene knew everything was going to go wrong that day. She just _knew. _

The sixth year Gryffindor spent a boring half an hour flipping through the pages of the Daily Prophet, which was brought to her by Mary.

"Are you gonna leave room?" Mary asked after she'd been silent for some twenty minutes.

Marlene frowned lightly and scratched her chin with the end of her quill, as she concentrated on the crossword in the newspaper.

"Mornings hate me", she said after a while.

"It's a Saturday! What could possibly happen on a Saturday morning? It's 10 o'clock anyway, it's almost noon."

Marlene shook her head in dismissal.

"Mornings hate me", she repeated, a serious look upon her pretty face.

Mary rolled her eyes.

"Eccentric prig."

"Why are you still inside, anyway?"

"Because I have nothing to do and you're being such a killjoy, I might as well just murder you with your own pillow."

"That wouldn't be odd at all. I always said that if I die, I'll die on a morning."

"I could make it look as if you'd died in your sleep …"

"And I know it's gonna be awful, because something always happens something when I wake up so early! I just _know _it, Mare!"

"What are you so afraid of, Marly?"

Marlene let the quill fall on her stretched, blanket-covered legs.

"Nothing in particular", she admitted. "I might simply just embarrass myself or say something inappropriate or stain my clothes and look like a weirdo until I change into clean clothes or I might as well just step on the wrong moving stair and I'm gonna fall from the seventh floor and die. And you will regret it, Mary, you'd wish you'd left me in peace in my room."

Throughout the whole speech, Mary watched her friend with scepticism glowing in her brown eyes.

"There are spells to keep you safe from falling, Marlene. Seriously, tell me now, are you suffering from some morning sickness?"

"I'm not pregnant", Marlene said, rolling her eyes.

"I had to make sure. Any bloke involved? A secret affair? I love secret affairs!"

"No."

"Then what is it?"

"I just _hate_ mornings and they _hate _me in return!"

The truth is, Marlene McKinnon used to like mornings long ago.

She just stopped sometime on the way.

It all started with a drawing. A stupid drawing, if she were to be looking at it now.

It was a simple drawing, one featuring herself and her family. She painted it on a morning, while her mother prepared breakfast and her father read the _Prophet._

"Such a nice drawing, darling", he'd say and then he'd promise that on his way back from Gringott's he'd buy a frame for her drawing.

But on that evening, only the frame would come home. Not her father.

And then the _Morning Misfortune_ started.

Her beloved Puffskein passed away on a morning.

Her mother announced her engagement to a guy named Willy.

She had had a fight with Mary on a morning. They didn't talk for the rest of the week.

She fainted during Potions on a morning.

She had broken her leg on a winter morning.

She embarrassed herself in front of a guy she used to like on a morning.

She accidentally turned her skin green on a morning.

Sirius Black broke her heart on a morning.

All the wrong things happened on mornings.

Lost in thought, Marlene hadn't heard her friend talk. It was only after Mary snapped at her, that she truly paid attention.

"Sorry. You were saying?"

"Ugh."

"I bet you weren't saying that." A smile formed in the corner of her lips.

"I was saying: let's have a deal. You'll get out of bed – oh, let me finish!" Mary said, as she saw Marlene ready to disapprove. "You'll get out of bed and _if_ anything happens to you – anything at all – I swear on my hair that I'll shave Black's beard."

Marlene considered the proposition for a moment.

"But if I die, I'll never get to see the look on his face after he realizes his beard's gone."

"And they were saying _I _was the childish one."

"Wait. And what if _you _win?"

To this, Mary wasn't sure what to answer. She looked around the disorganised room, trying to find a useful idea.

"You'll lend me your green scarf for a month!"

"A week."

"Three weeks."

"A week."

"Two weeks!"

"Fine, two. But only two weeks!"

"Sounds like a deal to me. Now let's get you pretty for your doom."

Marlene's eyes widened. She stared at the other Gryffindor for what was a mere second, before Mary broke into a laughter.

"Simmer down, Marly, was only joking."

"I hate mornings", she said, while Mary threw clothes at her.

* * *

It was a cold day for autumn, a sharp, cold wind blowing, sending anyone who went for a walk on the castle grounds back to their dormitories and common rooms. Most of the Hogwarts' students found refuge near a fire, where they could warm their frozen limbs.

Peter was snoring softly, curled up beneath his blankets. Remus was reading an old, huge book, while James was writing a letter to his parents. Sirius, the only one of them who wasn't blessed with an activity, kept staring at his wrist clock.

"Fifteen more minutes until 3 o'clock", he announced, breaking the thoughtful silence.

"Isn't that when your detention starts?" Remus wanted to know, closing his volume and putting it aside on his table.

"It is," said Sirius, looking bored.

"How did you manage to get a detention –"

"Without me", James broke in.

Peter puffed in his sleep and murmured some unintelligible words.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault you weren't there." Padfoot ignored his sleeping friend. "You should've seen Mulciber's face when he realized he had a donkey tail." Sirius rose from his seat and said: "I'd rather not be late for the detention or McGonagall will have me wash the floors supervised by Filch and his filthy cat."

"We ought to petrify that cat one of these days. Hold on, mate, I'll walk with you. I need to send this letter home."

"But we're walking different paths," Sirius said, wrinkling his nose.

"Who cares? Don't you want to your best friend to walk with you?"

"No?" Sirius said, as if the answer were obvious.

"That's rude; we're not friends anymore for the rest of the day." James said, placing a hand over his heart, acting hurt.

"Look at the two of you. Fighting like an old married couple", Remus said.

James, who was no longer paying attention to the conversation, was now focusing on something else.

"Is it just me, or has Wormtail been sleeping for the past 24 hours?"

"It's just you."

"You should ask Sirius about it."

"I'm not talking to him", James said, folding his arms over his chest.

"Come now, Prongs, let's walk together. I'll tell you what I've done to our child." He pushed the door open and walked into the corridor.

"Peter's not our child," said James, pushing the door of the dormitory open, while Sirius curled a hand around his shoulder.

"What kind of a mother are you? To deny your child's identity?"

"I'm not a mother, Sirius. Grow up."

"Of course you are. And you are also my wife, as I am your husband. Everyone knows that."

"Everyone being …?"

"You, me, our children, the whole Hogwarts, the entire universe knows it!" He put a great emphasis on the last word and, in the deserted hall, it seemed as though it echoed for a long time.

"The entire universe denies it."

"No, you deny it. And you are not the universe, James. Jeez, I start to understand what Evans feels like, whenever she's trying to remind you of that."

James rolled his eyes, a broadening grin on his face.

"So tell me what you've done to Pe – our child."

"Oh, that's a funny story. He accidentally drank a beverage I created."

"Accidentally?"

"It was a pointed moment in time – an absolutely unavoidable moment in time", Sirius nodded.

James, who wasn't convinced by his friend's story, raised his eyebrows, waiting for some more information. However, when Sirius ceased to speak, he questioned:

"Unavoidable?"

"Impossible to avoid."

"I know what it means!"

"No need to get so jumpy, I was making sure."

"You're late, Mr Black", Minerva McGonagall's voice thundered, her deep sharp voice echoing off the walls. It was only after they both heard her voice, that they realized how fast they reached the professor's office.

Both boys turned around to see Professor McGonagall send them furious looks that could freeze their blood in the veins. However, Sirius, who was too bouncy to be scared by the elderly witch, declared: "We're married!"

James, who was trying to fix Padfoot's joke, was shaking his head, hoping his teacher won't take this announcement for granted.

Minerva McGonagall stood tall and straight before them, her piercing eyes watching them accusatory from behind her eyeglasses. She was thin both of body and face, with sharp features and a stern mouth, having a way of pressing her lips together whenever she tried to still her rage.

"I've heard enough of your mockery, Mr Black. Follow me. Mr Potter, you may go, unless, of course, you'd want to join Mr Black in detention."

Without waiting for an answer, the witch turned around, her gowns whistling at the movement, and disappeared in her office, with Sirius following close behind. James waved at his friend, but as Sirius wasn't looking anymore, he made his way to the Owlery.

Hermes, his old owl, was awaiting him. James patted him softly on the head and the owl gawked, his protuberant eyes looking tired.

"You'll deliver this to mom and dad, understood? And try not to get lost on the way, this time", said James, as he was binding the letter to the owl's stretched leg.

He spent some fifteen more minutes watching the owl fly away, until the only thing he could see was the solitary distance.

When he returned to the castle, two very different (and odd) things happened. First, he had come across two Slytherins, who were talking so loudly, all of the Hogwarts could hear them. But that wasn't the odd thing mentioned above; The topic was a queer one.

"Yes, it's the secret labyrinth of Hogwars", said one of them, and James stopped right before they could see him. However, as he waited them to continue their discussion, he was only greeted with silence.

"Secret labyrinth?" he mouthed, trying to understand the meaning of the sentence. What labyrinth? What were they talking about?

His train of thought was interrupted by a low voice coming from behind him.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can find Minerva McGonagall's office?"

He spun around to face the speaker and was puzzled to see the girl in front of him. She was the oddest creature he had ever seen. She must've been around 17 years old, yet her hair was silvery. She had it bund in a braid with a piece of dark jade ribbon. On her shoulders she was wearing an old rumpled cloak, which was three times her size. Her hands were gripping the small pack she was holding, white-knuckled. But her eyes were the feature that James found most strange. They were black as the night, without a trace of light in them. He was staring into her eyes and was surprised to find nothing there. It was like looking into the eyes of a dead person.

"Right 'round the corner."

She thanked him politely, her voice sounding like a whisper just like the first time she spoke, and then she left.

* * *

She was used to sultry weather, not to such a cold autumn. Seasons were like one back there in Egypt, but here in Scotland everything was different. The day was grey and bitter cold. Salacia could feel the coldness freezing her to the bone, even though she wore a warm layer of cloth.

She was sewing some old rumpled robes when Nero knocked on the door.

"You have to deliver a Potion to Minerva McGonagall, child. Be quick about it."

And then there was silence. He returned to his dormitory, where he was plotting a 'glorious plan', as he liked to call it. He was always telling her he had a brilliant plan going on and she was always wise enough not to inquire further information. Since she was a little girl he had taught her that curiosity was a sin and it was punished as such. Every time she would ask questions without being asked to, he would hit her in the face with an instrument called the Smacker. So she grew to be afraid of the Smacker more than someone could be afraid of, for example, a spider. But with the time she had learned to be obedient and follow Nero's lead and so he hadn't used the Smacker in years. Not until last week. Last week she had done the mistake of speaking to one of the villagers, without being asked, and thus, breaking the first rule of their agreement.

Nero had used the instrument to smack her hands this time and the blows had left red blemishes on her white hands. They were still visible after a week.

Her tan was gone too (almost). As she left her warm cocoon to find some clean clothes in the small drawer, she walked past the mirror, and, as usual was startled to see the person staring back at her. She had a queer look now. She felt a stranger to herself, having such a pale skin, cold at touch. It was as if this place would take everything she owned from her. Everything that remembered her of the life in Egypt was gone.

_That's because it's a past life,_ she reminded herself, slipping into a simple, grey gown. She didn't bother to imitate the British witch wear, for she was usually wearing a cloak over her clothes and because she was barely leaving the house – another rule she had to obey to.

She descended the stairs of their house in silence, not wanting to disturb Nero, and went through the kitchen, where some freshly baked lemon pie caught her attention. Salacia was tempted to steal a slice, but then the traces on her hands reminded her of the punishment she'd get, and she left the house without eating anything, holding the package she had to deliver close to her chest, as if she would try to protect it from the cold.

_It's just a stupid Potion_, she told herself, but she still held the package close to her body_. I have to deliver it quick and safely. Minerva McGonagall. Minerva McGonagall. Minerva McGonagall._

She repeated the woman's name until she reached the castle grounds. It was colder than she had imagined and the woolly cloak she had around her shoulders wasn't keeping her warm at all; the chilliness slipped beneath it, wrapping itself around her already frozen body.

When she finally entered the castle, she could barely feel her limbs. The castle was not warm either, but it was better than outside. She wandered around the hallways, trying to find Minerva McGonagall, until she stumbled across a young man.

You are not allowed to talk to anyone. Walk by, like a shadow, and he will not observe you. But she needed help. She hadn't the faintest idea where she could find the woman who requested the Potion.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can find Minerva McGonagall's office?"

It seemed to her that decades had passed until the young boy, a student of around 16 years old, had replied. He looked thoroughly confused, probably asking himself who she was or what she was doing there. She didn't grace him with an answer to that.

"Right 'round the corner.", he had finally answered in his thick, British accent.

"Thank you."

Her voice sounded more like a whisper when she spoke. She could feel her cheeks flush, so she decided to leave now. He has probably figured out that I am a foreigner. _My English is not half as good as his. _

Salacia followed his instructions and soon arrived in front of a broad wooden door. She pushed it open and was surprised to find a boy sitting on a chair at a desk, staring up at her.

_Maybe the other boy was wrong. Maybe I can't find Minerva McGonagall here._

Just as she turned on her heel to leave, the boy's voice stopped her.

"If you're looking for McGonagall, she'll be returning soon."

She nodded.

He smiled. A beautiful smile.

"Go on, grab a seat, don't just stay there."

She sat on the nearest chair, far away from where he was seated. Seeing as she didn't respond, he went back to writing something on a piece of parchment. She wanted to know what he was doing here. _Curiosity is a sin, curiosity is a sin_, she reminded herself.

"You're not a Hogwarts student, are you?", he asked.

She didn't answer, but kept staring at her scarred hands.

He probably thought she didn't hear him ask, because he repeated, this time more loudly:

"You're not a Hogwarts student, are you?"

_I'm not allowed to talk to him, but what if I shake my head? It's not speaking, and he won't take me for stupid or ignorant. _

She shook her head in dismissal.

"Thought so", he said, grinning, "What's your name?"

Nero's voice as he told her, _'You will never talk to any of the Hogwarts'_ students, unless I tell you so', kept echoing in her ears. He hadn't allowed her to speak to this guy and she had to do as Nero said. She straightened her posture and remained silent.

"Are … are you a mute?" he asked blatantly.

She shook her head again.

"Then talk to me. Look, I'm in a detention and am likely to spend my entire evening in this office. I am bored to death. Please, grace me with an answer or I will go insane here."

"What's a detention?"

They were both startled to hear her talk. He because he didn't actually believe it will work. She because she could already feel the Smacker hitting her hands. But there was no going back now. She had to wait for Minerva McGonagall to come and she had to live with her mistake. Salacia took a deep breath, looking up at him. He was laughing.

"You don't know what a detention is?"

She shook her head for the third time that evening.

"Oh." He looked puzzled. "Well … detention is erm … Remus would know the exact definition of this … err detention is like punishment! I've done something wrong and now I have to be punished for it."

She wondered if he was going to get hit too, like she was every time she wronged.

"I'm Sirius, by the way. Most handsome lad around the place."

_Sirius. Like the sign on the sky_.

"You should agree", he told her.

"With what?" _Why do I keep talking?_

"That I am the most handsome lad you have ever met."

"Why?"

"Because it's true."

Salacia frowned. Why would he tell her that? It was stupid. He was saying nonsensical stuff.

She looked around the room. It looked like a classroom, or what she imagined a classroom to look like. She liked it, she liked the cages hanging around the walls and the desks, all clean and awaiting for students to use them. She liked the chalkboard and she tried to decipher the writing on it, but it was almost washed off. Then her gaze turned back at the package in her hands.

"When will she be returning?"

"I dunno."

She nodded briefly and for some moments they were silent. Only for some moments.

"Why is your hair silver?"

People often asked her that question, but she never knew how to answer. She knew it was uncommon to have silver hair at her age, but she was born with it and whenever she tried to magically change its colour, it simply returned to its former colour and everything was it should've been. Nero used to say her hair had a will of its own.

Salacia shrugged.

"How can you not know? Is it in the family? Or are you ill or something?"

_I never met my family._

But she couldn't tell him that. To the world Nero was her rightful father. Her mother? Story was that she was dead. She dismissed him with a shrug.

Suddenly, the door opened and in the room entered a very tall, elderly woman. Salacia presumed it was Minerva McGonagall.

"Ah, Professor, there you are. This girl here – whose name I don't know, because she scarcely speaks – is looking for you."

Professor McGonagall sent the boy an angry look then turned her gaze at Salacia, who was slowly walking towards the front of the classroom. She was holding the package in her hands and when she took it out in the candlelight, the woman nodded, smiling.

"Yes, I was waiting for that. How much do I owe you?"

"One galleon", the girl answered.

They exchanged the packages and the money under the sight of the very curious boy.

"If that is all, you may go, girl. Thank your father for the Potion", McGonagall said, and left again to deposit the potion in her office.

_I will._ She made a mental note to tell Nero about that.

"You're freezing", Sirius observed.

_The cold._ She had forgotten about the cold. But now that he reminded her, she could feel it again, embracing her.

It might have been her blue lips that betrayed her, or simply the shivering of her body. Whichever it was, the boy had seen it and seemed to be concerned about it. If he cared or was simply making a drama out of it, Salacia couldn't tell.

"You should warm yourself near a fire, it's cold outside."

"I will, as soon as I arrive home", she assured him.

"D'you live in Hogsmeade?"

She didn't reply.

"It's a long way to Hogsmeade, take this", he said, as he pulled his jumper off.

She gaped at the warm cloth he was handing her. She couldn't take it. To take something from a Hogwarts' student was probably as bad as breaking 10 of Nero's rules. She shook her head.

"Why are you being so stubborn? Listen, I don't care about you. I don't even know who you are. But I'd feel bad if you'd die, and besides I don't want a bunch of Aurors looking for me, interrogating me, because I was the last person to ever see you alive. Take it", he insisted.

Salacia reached for the jumper and nodded.

"Now put it on."

She obeyed, taking off her cloak off and pulling the jumper over her rumpled clothes. It was warm, and it seemed as if it was getting warmer with every second that passed. She then put her cloak back on her shoulders, and she could feel the blood running through her veins again.

"It's magically enchanted so it warms itself. The jumper, I mean. So every time you'll feel like freezing, put it on. Don't you know how to warm yourself with magic?"

"No."

It was his turn to nod. Without saying anything else he returned to his paperwork, and she walked to the door. As she reached for the doorknob, she spun around and said:

"Thank you, Sirius, most handsome lad I have ever met."

He laughed.

* * *

Sirius continued laughing minutes after the girl, whose name he still didn't know, had left. McGonagall, who had heard his laughter came into the classroom, hands on her hips. When he saw her coming, Sirius grinned.

"She agreed that I am handsome."

"Enough of this, Mr Black. Finish your work, or you're going to spend your entire night here."

He conformed, but was unable to focus on his work.

* * *

"Check mate."

Silence.

"Check mate."

Again, Remus' conclusion was met by silence.

"James, you lost."

Silence.

"Earth to Prongs." Peter was the one to speak this time. Confused, he looked at his friend, while he took a bite out of his tart.

_Why were those Slytherins talking about a labyrinth? There's no such thing as a labyrinth anywhere near the Hogwarts' grounds. _

In a serious tone: "Prongs."

_They're Slytherins, they're probably up to something. Something … dark. _

"D'you reckon he's in some kind of a trance?"

"I'd say we wait until he wakes up."

"Yeah. Let's have a play meantime. It might take a while."

_I'm a Marauder and the Marauders know all the passage ways in and out of Hogwarts. All the secret rooms. There's no labyrinth! _

"Sirius would hit him." He could hear Peter's voice say.

But instead of hitting him, Remus snapped his fingers.

James's eyebrows shot up. "Yes?"

Peter's expression lit up. "Finally. We thought you died or something. Anyway, you lost."

"A long time ago", added Remus.

"Pete, you're awful at wizard's chess."

Peter was lost in thought, probably considering his next move, and when James' observation reached him, he began to laugh. "That's not true. I'm a wonderful player, Moony's just better."

"What was it you were thinking?" asked Remus.

James was silent for several moments until he spoke again:

"Ever heard of a labyrinth _inside _or anywhere _near_ the castle?"

Both his friends turned to him at once, watching him questioningly.

"Never heard of such a thing. There's only the legend of Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets. No labyrinth."

It was only when he heard Remus speak, that he realized he'd been hoping for a different answer. He wasn't paranoid and Sirius would agree with him on the labyrinth. Those slimy Slytherins were most likely up to something and whatever it might've, been he knew it wasn't a prank. It was known among the students that Slytherins had a sinister humour.

"Where d'you get such an idea?"

James shrugged. "Never mind. It wasn't important."

Remus looked as if he was going to disagree, but he resumed his game instead.

_It wasn't that important anyway. Maybe they were just fantasizing. _

"Check mate." Moony concluded, smiling.

"What? When did that happen?"

"You should quit chess, Wormtail. You're a rubbish player." James' laugh was contagious and soon, the other two joined him.

"At least I don't get lost in my own thoughts!" Peter said.

"Fair enough." James tore his eyes away from his friends and looked around the common room. Caradoc Dearborn was talking to some blonde bird near the stairs – probably taking advantage that Sirius wasn't anywhere near to distract the girl. Frank Longbottom was instructing some third year about Merlin knew what and Lily Evans was seated by the fire, absorbed in conversation with Mary … or Marlene; James wasn't sure as he could only see the back of their heads.

_Lily would probably know about the labyrinth. _

He looked away. Dorcas Meadowes was hopelessly trying to find something in her huge handbag, assisted by her younger sister who seemed bored in her company.

And suddenly his eyes snapped back at Lily. She rose from her seat, her red hair brushing her shoulders.

Truth be told, he had never really had a decent talk with Lily. They always bickered at one another and when they didn't bicker, she insulted him, while he pretended he didn't care. But he did. And it hurt to see all that hate in her eyes – a hate directed specifically towards him.

And if he were to be sincere with himself, James would admit that he didn't know too much about her either.

And yet, Lily was not like the normal girls – she was special, he knew that.

To James, Lily was the quintessence of perfection. (Well, not really, she had a lot of flaws too, but in his eyes, she was still perfect.)

She had a beautiful Mona Lisa smile (or so he assumed. He had never seen the painting, but he'd been told several times that Mona Lisa had the most beautiful smile) which could melt the coldest of hearts.

She was the perfect kind of student: being nice and polite to everyone (when really, she shouldn't), respecting every rule, tutoring young wizards and generally just being a goody-two-shoes.

She was also very loyal to her friends.

James saw her crying once. He wanted to comfort her, but he never found the rightful words to say. Later on he found out that her mother had died and, once again, felt the need to try and cheer her up in a way. However intense this feeling had been, he just uttered a weak, "I am sorry for your loss" and left her alone. What she didn't know was that he truly meant it, not necessarily for the loss (he was feeling sorry about that too) but for seeing her so miserable.

Sometimes he was so annoyed with her, he ended up asking himself what he liked so much about her.

She hated him, there was no doubt to that. And she also liked to snap at him a great deal.

James asked her out several times and she always rejected every single date; she was polite at first, but as James insisted more and more, her temper grew as well. So she ended up yelling at him at least twice a day.

He knew he was being way too insistent, but she was being stubborn too. If she had just accepted him … but she was not going to accept. He knew that now.

He knew he was acting foolishly.

He also knew he hated her just as much as he loved her.

She was now turning around on her heels, covering her mouth with a hand as she yawned. His eyes were still fixated on her. Lily packed her stuff and, with books in hand, and Marlene (he was positively sure it was Marlene) following close behind, she started for the girls' dormitories.

_Lily would probably know about the labyrinth._

And then, almost unconsciously, he rose from his seat by the window and when she walked past him he called after her: "Evans."

She stopped, but didn't turn around at once, most likely considering whether or not she should respond. When James had lost his hope that she would cooperate, Lily turned on her heel to face him.

"Potter", she said.

He was speechless for a second, because she took him by surprise. However, he quickly regained his voice. "May I have a word?"

Lily nodded.

"You frequent the Library quite a lot."

"Yes, so? "

He ran a hand through his already wild hair, "Listen. Have you ever heard … read about a labyrinth built anywhere near Hogwarts?"

Lily folded her arms over her chest, frowning. "No."

"Oh."

"Why are you interested?" There was wariness in her voice.

"You wanna know the truth?"

She bit her upper lip, thinking about it. When she gave in to curiosity, she simply shrugged, while James motioned that she should draw nearer.

Taking a deep breath, she approached.

"I heard two Slytherins talking about it and I found it to be dubious."

"That's it?" she asked, amused, shaking her head disbelievingly, "you heard a conversation between two people about a random subject and you concluded that they're probably guilty of some _crime_?"

"Not any people. Slytherins."

"That doesn't necessarily change anything. If Marlene and I were talking about a troll and you happened to hear, would you find _that _suspicious? Would you believe we are to slip a troll in the castle?"

"Evans, that is a stupid plan. Trolls are huge, even an idiot could see such a creature shouldn't be _in_ the castle."

Again, Lily shook her head, sighing.

"Everyone would know about a labyrinth built inside the castle", she said.

"But what about a secret labyrinth?"

"The Chamber of Secrets was supposed to be a secret too, right?"

"That's a myth."

"Before I came to Hogwarts, witches and wizards and fairies and trolls – they were myths too."

"So you agree?"

"What?"

"You agree that there could be a labyrinth."

"I don't know if there is or if there isn't a labyrinth", Lily sighed. "I'm just trying to make you understand that there would be talking about it, right? I mean, it's a bloody labyrinth!"

"So you agree."

"Be it your way", Lily said, waving her hand dismissively.

Lily reached the stairs, but she was once again stopped by James's voice calling after her.

"Why d'you think those Slytherins were talking about it?"

"Surely so you hear it and spend the rest of your night trying to solve the mystery", she said.

"I know it's more than it seems."

Lily tapped her fingers on the railing, before speaking again, this time more serious.

"Let's pretend – rhetorically – that you are right and they are definitely planning something. Would you, if you were in their position, speak about your plans in the middle of a hallway – or wherever it was you heard them talk?"

"Of course not, I'm not an idiot", James rolled his eyes.

Lily nodded in response. "My point exactly."

"But they're Slytherins. They're not particularly …"

"Bright? I know. Yet still …"

She was obviously thinking intensely about it; he could tell that by the way she was folding her eyebrows.

"Could you find out anything about it? The labyrinth, I mean?", James asked, breaking the thoughtful silence.

Lily's green eyes flashed at him. "I can try. But that doesn't mean –"

"Yes, yes, I know. It doesn't mean the Slytherins are guilty. But they're not innocent either, are they?"

Letting a laugh escape her lips, she turned around again and this time ascended the stairs and quickly disappeared in the dormitories.

* * *

When Lily opened the door to her shared room, she was welcomed by Marlene who was polishing her nails and Kimmers who was counting the bricks in the walls. She walked to her bed, throwing herself on it.

"What did James want?"asked Marlene, while admiring her freshly-coloured nails.

"If I tell you I have no idea, would you believe me?"

Marlene reflected on this for some seconds, before she answered:

"I suppose not."

"Then I'd rather not reply at all."

"2,376 bricks!"

"You're barking mad!"

Lily laughed.

* * *

It felt like dreaming. The ground was slowly shaking. His bed seemed like floating, moving around the room.

Wait.

The bed was floating?

James' eyes snapped open at once.

The earth was shaking. He wasn't dreaming.

He looked around, but everyone else seemed positively asleep.

"Padfoot?"

Instead of Sirius answering, he had all his other roommates hiss at him to shut up and allow them to sleep. But James insisted.

"Padfoot, have you felt that?"

"Mmm?"

"Is that a yes?"

"Mmm."

"I think it's an earthquake. The ground is shaking. Can you feel it?"

"The only thing I can feel, Prongs, is my hand wanting to curl around your neck and make you shut up."

"But can't you feel it?"

"Shut up!"

He ignored Caradoc Dearborn's comment.

"Something smells here. Why is the ground shaking?"

"And you were saying I was reacting bad to alcohol", Peter said, sitting up in his bed and looking around at his half-sleeping roommates.

"I didn't drink", protested James, but he was dismissed by an unanimous "GO TO SLEEP".

"I trust you, Prongs.", Peter said in a whisper, half an hour later, when everyone was deepened in their sleep. "I felt something too."

_**3**_

Icarus lead the way through the labyrinth, while his pupils followed close behind. He was murmuring spells and incantations and the walls were moving out of his way. He wondered if the inhabitants of the castle could feel the walls moving under the actual building.

Rowena's labyrinth, as it was called, was the perfect place to keep his special classes. No one knew of its existence, and if his students were intelligent enough, they would keep it a secret.

When he reached what he thought was almost the middle of the tangle, he stopped, turning around on his heels. The students assigned to become Death Eaters were staring at him, waiting for the lesson to start.

He had imagined this moment so many times in his head. He could remember he had a speech prepared for this, but when he opened his mouth to speak it, all that came out was, "Welcome to your Dark Arts lesson." He felt his heart beat ten times faster than usual, but he maintained his cool look.

His students weren't older than he had been when he was first introduced to real Dark Magic.

_A new Era begins now, _he thought, raising his wand.

* * *

A/N: I really hope you liked this 2nd chapter because I spent a lot of time cutting, adding and rewriting scenes and yes I ended the chapter like this (hate me), because I happen to enjoy being a troll.

Sirius's jumper to anyone who reviews,

Ria. :P


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello, readers. Here is the 3rd chapter of LUBB. Well, it took me a month to write it down, but personally I didn't feel like it passed a month since I last updated. Anyway, my internet connection is very poor so I'm not going to waste it on writing long author notes. I'm just telling you this: there's a lot of action, drama and some ship hints. Also, this is the longest chapter I've ever written so big cheer for me.

Disclaimer: Everything goes to Jo Ro (except the Labyrinth idea mwahahahah) and to Tori Amos (because her msic is amazing and it helped me write) also thanks to GRR Martin for giving me the idea of a quote for this chapter.

Big thanks to my beta, Miba and Evie and Ana for moral support.**  
**

***Chapter 3***

**_1  
_**

Herbology was the class before lunch, and from all the subjects that there were, it was clearly the most boring and dirty of them all. Mary was partnered up with Sirius, Dorcas and Marlene, but the last hadn't shown up yet.

Mary sat on the chair next to Sirius, staring sceptically at the plant, and put on protective goggles.

"Isn't that Marlene's scarf?" Dorcas asked, pointing at Mary's neck.

Looking at Mary through his goggles, Sirius' eyes seemed a lot bigger than usual. "It looks like it."

"And you would know that, Sirius, because …"

"She wears it a lot." He shrugged.

"Fair enough."

"You didn't steal it again, did you, Mary? Marlene's going to be furious if she finds out," said Lily, who was partnered up with Remus and two Hufflepuff students, while putting on some protective gloves.

"I didn't steal it." Mary rose her hands over her head to prove her innocence. "Well, not this time", she said in response to her friends' doubtful look (and Sirius, who found the whole business amusing). "We had a bet, and she lost."

"A bet?" Sirius asked.

"You wouldn't understand. And anyway, Marly's going to kill me if she finds out I told you."

"Well that's sad, McDonald, but your death would have nothing to do with me –"

"You ass!" Mary laughed, punching Sirius's arm.

"Are you gonna tell me now?"

"Well we made a stupid bet – and I knew I was going to win, obviously – because Marlene was acting like an idiot again."

Dorcas, who had stared at the Snargaluff for the past ten minutes, decided to break into the conversation, seeing as there was nothing else to do.

"Was it because of _the _MM?"

Mary nodded.

Sirius looked confused from one to the other. "What's MM? Is it a secret code?"

The brunette pulled a face, resting her head on her right hand. "We'd tell you, Black, but we'd have to kill you afterwards."

"Oooh, secrets, I love secrets!"

"You should've been a girl then, Black", said Dorcas, playing with one of her curls.

"You wouldn't want that."

"Why not?" asked Mary.

"Have you seen the way _I _look as a guy? Imagine how I'd look as a bird! You lot would be single for the rest of your lives."

"Arrogant much." Dorcas rolled her eyes, but as the Herbology teacher walked by, she jumped out of her seat and pretended to dive at the gnarled stump in front of her.

"You better get going. Team nr.2 is almost done", said the professor, smiling kindly at them, and pointing in the direction of Lily and Remus who were holding a green object.

Sirius gave a disapproving snort. "I knew I should've skipped this class."

"But you'd miss all the fun."

"Yeah, you still haven't told me what 'MM' stands for."

"If you promise to be quiet about it, we might consider telling you …"

"Mary." Dorcas had a stern look upon her face, as she looked at her friend, "Marlene _is_ going to be furious."

"You guys, I'm dying here. WHAT IS IT?"

Mary looked at Dorcas who sighed, but nodded all the same.

"Okay, come closer", Mary said in a whisper, as Sirius and Dorcas did as told. "What you're going to hear in this erm … "

"Greenhouse."

"Exactly. What you're going to hear in this greenhouse shall remain a secret understood?", Mary took a long, significant pause, waiting for the boy to approve. "Good. Now, Marlene suffers of a thing called _marrow –"_

"_Malady", _Dorcas finished the sentence for her. "There you go, you know now."

"_Marrow Malady?_", Sirius mouthed, confused. "What in the holy name of Merlin's pants is the MARROW MALADY?"

"Shhh", both girls quieted him.

"_Sorry_", Sirius added in a tone that would have rather said 'I'm definitely _not_ sorry', "But what is this thing though?"

"You don't know what the marrow malady is?"

Sirius shook his head.

"He doesn't know what the marrow malady is."

"You know, it wouldn't do you any bad to open a book every once in a while, Black."

"Whatever. Tell me about this err … malady."

"It's not really a malady", Mary said, "it's more of a curse."

"An ancient curse."

"A curse?"

"That's what we said, stop repeating our words!" Mary looked around to see if anyone was eaves-dropping.

"When she's angry … bloody Morgan this is complicated to say, Marlene's going to _kill_ us … when she's angry …", the Mary sent a hopeful look at Dorcas.

"What McDonald means to say is that when she's angry," she took a deep breath, "Marlene grows wings."

The boy ran his tongue over his upper lip, folding his eyebrows. "Wings? Like bird wings or Pegasus wings?"

"More like angel wings."

"Oh."

"And her skin turns blue."

"Yeah, blue, but umm it also looks like the skin of a reptile."

"Wait. Why is it called _marrow malady_?"

"Why is it called 'food'? It doesn't matter; some idiot thought of marrows when he discovered this syndrome."

"The point is: she has wings!"

"And she grows stronger."

"And her voice turns soft as the voice of a nightingale."

"And her hair glows."

"Her hair doesn't glow."

"It does."

"No, it doesn't. Dorcas hasn't seen Marlene in her true form before. Don't listen to her, Sirius."

"True form?" Sirius looked puzzled. "Wait, so she has wings, her skin is purple –"

"Blue."

"Whatever. And she grows strong and stuff and that's her … _true form_?"

"Yeah." Mary nodded.

"It's, as we said before, an ancient curse. Marlene doesn't like to talk about it. She turns like that only when she's very angry anyway."

"So the conclusion is to avoid annoying her."

"Or do, if you wanna die." Dorcas added an exaggerated emphasis on the last word, unenthusiastically waving her hand.

Sirius's eyes widened. "Is she _that_ dangerous?"

Dorcas snorted. "Werewolves are nothing compared to Marrow-people."

"Hey, guys."

"MCKINNON!" Sirius shouted, at the sight of Marlene.

Dorcas and Mary both restrained their laughter, while Marlene looked questioningly from one of her friends to the other. She was soaking wet, the water drops pouring from her hair. Her robes were sticking to her body, and her hand was encircled around her handbag.

"It's good to see you too, Black?"

"Wow!" Sirius cheered, eyes fixated on the last to arrive. She didn't seem too impressed though, so she took the empty chair and looked around for her book.

"We're never going to finish this task if we don't start it", she said, pointing in the direction of the plant.

Mary shivered disgusted and Dorcas rolled her eyes, muttering a "I knew I should've failed this class".

"Who would've thought?" Sirius shook his head, eyes still on Marlene.

"Okay," she sighed, resting her hands on her hips, "who gave him weed this time?"

"They told me about the 'MM'", the boy confessed, a grin broadening on his face.

Silence.

Then: "I can't believe you told him about the 'MM'."

There was another moment of silence, before the three culprits started speaking at the same time, each of them trying to defend himself:

"He forced us."

"They insisted."

"It was all Mary's idea!"

"Hey!"

"What? You can't deny what is true."

"Listen, McKinnon, I think it's brilliant. I mean you have wings. WOW."

"_What?_

Again, silence dominated for a while, neither of them knowing who should speak first, before Sirius exclaimed: "I _knew_ it was a lie!"

"What wings?" asked Marlene, still confused, waiting for an answer from both her friends.

"Marlene, you killjoy!"

"It was so much fun before you came", agreed Dorcas, patting Marlene on the shoulder and raising her eyebrows.

"So you didn't tell him about the 'MM'."

"Nah, they didn't. You went all crazy over it when they're not even guilty."

"I can't believe you ruined everything", said Mary, propping her head on her hands, sighing heavily. Dorcas did the same.

"Okay. Since I'm already a killjoy and whatever", Marlene said after a while, "I would like to friendly remind you that if you want to pass this years' Herbology class, we should start our work and get our hands dirty." As she spoke, Marlene put her goggles on and, with the help of her wand, dug into the plant's pot.

Then Sirius's sarcastic remark echoed all unvoiced thoughts of Mary and Dorcas: "Wow, who would have thought you could be such a _professional_ party pooper, 'Kinnon."

**_2_**

With their pod squeezed, being all messy and sweaty, Lily and Remus could say their job was done. Lily noticed how Mary, Marlene, Dorcas and Sirius were all fighting the Snargaluff's veins and she restrained her laughter. It was a rare sight, seeing all of them work together.

Remus, settled on the seat next to hers, was packing up his things, while the Hufflpuffs they'd been partnered up with were absorbed in a conversation about Quidditch. After Remus had finished stuffing his books into his back, Lily turned her attention to him.

"So, how have you've been? We didn't get the chance to have a proper conversation since school has started."

Remus let his bag fall onto the ground of the greenhouse. "I've been really good, thank you for asking, Lily. Had a nice summer and until this moment our sixth year at Hogwarts doesn't seem all too different from the previous. And yourself?"

Lily said she spent her holidays home or hanging out with the girls and agreed with him. "How is your mum feeling? Better, I hope."

"She's fine enough", Remus said, looking down at his feet. "Is it true what they say? About Dorcas's mum?"

Lily didn't answer at once. She considered her response in her head. Dorcas and Remus were friends – not very close – but friends, so she opted for telling him. "I'm afraid so. Dorcas doesn't like to talk about it; she keeps it all to herself. I'm a little worried."

They looked again at the group. They were all covered in a green, sully liquid, their clothes stained. It was Sirius's making, both Lily and Remus knew that at once; instead of following the instructions, the boy had taken a small blade and wedged it into the pod, causing its explosion.

"SQUEEZE IT, YOU IDIOT!" Dorcas yelled at Sirius, while he and the other two were creasing up. "IT'S NOT FUNNY. STOP LAUGHING." But she laughed too and so did the rest of the people who watched them.

"I can", Remus started, still looking at Dorcas, while she laughed along with her classmates, "I can keep an eye on her. When you're not around, I mean." Remus tore his eyes away from the blonde and caught Lily's sight fixed on him. She smiled up at him.

"Oh, could you, Remus? Of course, if that's not a burden to you …"

"Not at all. Dorcas is a nice girl. It'll be a pleasure."

"She's got a job, you know," Lily said. "She's trying to pay for her mum's medicine, I guess."

Remus nodded, nervously playing with his fingers. "What kind of a job?"

"At the new apothecary. The guy who runs it seems pretty nice and the money should last."

"No, I mean, what is she doing there actually?"

"Oh", said Lily, "uhm she sells and I don't know keeps the shop clean … these kind of stuff. She doesn't really talk about it."

"She's better than that. Scrubbing floors and spending her free time selling in a shop."

Lily agreed with him, but didn't speak her thoughts out loud. She knew Dorcas probably better than anyone else and she understood her position right now. When her own mom got sick two summers before, she would have done anything possible to keep her safe. In the end, she realized there wasn't really anything she could do.

"She's a good writer."

Lily nodded. "Yes, she is. She always wanted to be one."

"She could definitely get money out of that."

"That she could." Lily sighed, smiling at Remus. "But she's stubborn and scrubbing floors will definitely bring her some earnings; writing on the other hand … well she's only 16, after all."

"You never know." Remus seemed decided and it made Lily grin. '_You couldn't be more obvious, Remus_' her grin said, but, being so absorbed in his own thoughts, he didn't seem to notice it.

"Hey, you should tell her. About the writing."

"Won't she be mad at you because you told me all these things?" Remus asked.

"If it's for her own good, then I'm taking the risks."

"What makes you think that if _I_ tell her, she'll change her mind?"

She didn't answer at once. Staring intensely at her friend, Dorcas eventually turned around and they made eye contact for some seconds, before Lily would look away. "One can hope."

At this comment Remus gave a laugh. The class was dismissed five minutes later. "I should leave for the library. I'll see you later then, Lily."

"Wait. Aren't you coming for lunch?"

The boy looked in the direction of the entrance, where James was waiting for him, leaning against the door.

"Yeah. I promised James I'll help him with the labyrinth information. I reckon he already asked you about it."

"He's still struggling on that?"

"He does that all the time. Stumbles upon something, gets obsessed with it and never stops thinking or speaking about it. It's basically taking over his entire being. I'm not gonna lie, I feel like hitting him sometimes."

It was Lily's turn to laugh. "I guess I'll see you later then."

He nodded and turned around on his heels, walking to the door to meet up with his friends.

_(Advice)_

She was moving incredibly slowly, she knew that. There was simply no need for hurry. Obviously, everyone else seemed to disagree with this thought, since two minutes after the bell rang the class was already empty.

"For a plant, you're really ugly, you know. I would never keep something like you in my garden. No offense." Mary gave the Snargaluff a last, half-hearted look before she turned around and started off for the Great Hall.

It was raining outside, but she, unlike Marlene, was able to cast a perfect Impervius charm so she reached the inside of the castle without soaking wet. The hallways were full of students, their voices echoing through the walls. It occurred to her just then that she was actually alone and that her friends had abandoned her in the favour of food. _Rude. _

She went to the left, avoiding a group of first years who were staring at a painting with great interest. The hallway she was now strolling was emptier than the rest.

In a small corner she spotted Nicolai Mulciber and Avery talking to Regulus Black. Mary slowed down her pace, trying to pass by, unobserved.

"We'll see you tonight then, Reg", she heard Mulciber's harsh voice say, before he and his friend abruptly left, leaving the youngest Black alone with her. Mary considered walking away for a second, but then turned around.

"Going for a midnight drink, _Reg_?"

Regulus looked up at her, startled that she was talking to him at all. He didn't answer or have any reaction to her comment.

"Or is it weed?"

"I don't need you to hold me a lecture", he replied coldly.

Mary rolled her eyes. "I was not. I was just asking. And anyway since when are you into _that_ lot? Have you forgotten what they did to your brother – "

"He's not my brother", he suddenly cut her off, finally tearing his eyes away from her. His fists were clenched and he was speaking through his gritted teeth.

"He is though", Mary said, aware that she was forcing her luck, "you have the same blood running through you veins. You can't change that, Regulus."

"I can pretend." He finally looked up at her, their eyes meeting for some seconds, before Mary would break the contact.

"And what advantage will this bring you?"

"I won't be blasted off the family tree."

"And spending time with scum like Mulciber is going to assure your place in the family?"

"I don't care –"

"What I think? I know. But here's some friendly advice –"

"You're not my friend", he said.

"Then pretend this advice comes from one of your friends – a smart one. You can do all sorts of wrong choices in life, it's normal, but picking the wrong friends, that's the worst you can do. Don't do it."

It followed a silent moment, before Mary would turn on her heels and jog to the Great Hall, leaving a bemused Regulus behind.

_**3**_

'_Marlene grabs a bite out of a chicken leg. Now she stares at me, a questioning look on her face.'_ After Lily wrote the sentences on the blank piece of paper, she lowered her quill, dipping it into the nearby ink bottle, and stared at her work with critical eyes. Dorcas, sitting next to her, was also glancing at the words and so was Marlene, who was still holding said chicken leg.

"That's a fine representation of Marlene, Lily. I'm proud of you; you're gonna be a wonderful novelist." Dorcas smiled affectively. "Don't forget to talk about the way she chomps. It's representative."

Marlene dropped the chicken leg on her plate. "_Why_ are you writing in a notebook about what and how I eat? And there's nothing wrong with the way I chew."

"Hush now, Marly, Lily's trying to capture your animal behaviour." At this remark, Marlene took one of the leftovers of a chicken leg and threw it at her blonde friend. Unfortunately for her, it only caused Dorcas to mock more: "What a cannibal. It's fascinating to observe it in its own habitat."

Lily let a laugh escape her lips, but she hid her smile behind her hand, while she took the quill again to write down everything that had happened meantime.

"Lily! Whose side are you on?"

"Did you really tell Sirius Marlene grows wings when she's angry?"

Dorcas nodded, a proud look brightening her face.

"Yeah, and I also had blue, reptile skin."

"But you had a mermaid's voice and angel wings", Dorcas said, throwing the chicken bone back at Marlene.

"Oh, yeah, I was also a beast that could _kill_."

Dorcas put her fork aside, folding her hands together under her chin and stared at Marlene for some seconds. "Not all the beasts are bad, Marlene. And anyway, if you really were to be one, we'd love you all the same." She puffed, resuming her eating. Then, seeing as the other two were both watching her, she added: "You should write that down, Lily; it proves my characteristic kindness."

"No, Lily, wait", Marlene said, raising a hand so as to stop Lily from writing the scene down. "I think you should erase everything and write about Dorcas's snoring."

Dorcas laughed. "Too bad I don't snore, then. Maybe Lily should write about your huge feet and –"

"Girls! Slow down!" Lily smiled at her friends.

"Right, Marlene, we should fight slower; Lily can't write that fast."

The Gryffindor girls let out a laugh. Suddenly Dorcas and Marlene seemed much more cheery.

"I'm sorry, Mar. You know I didn't really mean anything I said."

"You do snore, though." Marlene said, a smile forming in the corner of her lips, as she grabbed a slice of cheese pie.

"BLUEEE SKIIIN!" Dorcas swayed her arms in the air so as to imitate a pair of fluttering, huge wings.

Lily smiled as she wrote down: _'Dorcas and Marlene are acting like actual five year olds, but, as you might notice, this is their normal behaviour.'_

"There's one left thing to clear up", said Marlene, her eyes resting on Lily's notebook, "Why are you writing our lives down?"

"Lily wants to be a writer."

"No, I really don't.", she shook her head, "dad bought this for me before school started and he made me promise I will write about my life here so the next time we'll see each other he'll have a lot to read. I guess he's just trying to be a good father."

"But our lives are boring, Lily. Nothing ever happens to us."

"I figured out what 'MM' stands for." Sirius's presence took Marlene by surprise, making her jump and drop her half-eaten slice of pie on her blank white shirt.

The boy looked at the stained cloth and shrugged. "Before anyone accuses me of anything, Evans here present is a witness and can tell you all how _I _am not guilty for McKinnon's accident."

"Actually –", Lily began, being quickly interrupted by Sirius.

"No, witness, don't speak without being asked. Now, forgetting about the incident. I figured out what 'MM' stands for", he repeated.

"I highly doubt it."

Ignoring Marlene's disapproving comment, he went on: "They're yours and Mary's initials and they represent your devoted friendship."

"No", said Marlene decidedly.

"Yes." Dorcas grinned.

"I'll write this down. It seems interesting enough", said Lily, finding nothing better to do and sensing another fight between her friends.

"So is it a 'yes' or is it a 'no'."

"Yes."

"No."

"Guys …"

"Seriously, Marlene, we could've had a great laugh on this. You're such a cynical bat."

"If it's not that, then what can it be? Oi! What you writing?", he asked, pointing at Lily.

"Long story. Never mind. You can go now and try to solve the mystery of the 'MM'."

"Oh, so you want me to leave, McKinnon. I see, I see." Sirius smiled mischievously and grabbed himself a glass of pumpkin juice. "If you want me to leave then …"

"Yes, please –"

"No, you can stay, Sirius, these two are some boring companions anyway", Dorcas said, pointing at both Lily and Marlene.

"Hey!"

"Well, don't count Lily in; she's only half present since she's writing down our oh-so-interesting lives."

"Oh you're writing down life stories?", Sirius suddenly cheered up, "I 'ave some good stories to tell."

"Let me guess, Black: you defend an army of Inferi, get deadly wounded yet you survive and you also get the girl in the end." Lily brushed the end of the quill on her chin, smiling knowingly.

Sirius grinned, stealing Marlene's uneaten slice of pie. Before she could protest, he spoke again. "That is a great story, _but_, nope it wasn't the one I was meaning to tell you. But my story can wait. It can be the climax of the entire story."

Lily rose her eyebrows but asked no further question. Then: "How come you're all alone. Where are the _others_?"

"Library, I s'pose. James's obsessed with some labyrinth and he dragged Moony and Wormy after him."

"What labyrinth?" Marlene frowned, taking her slice of pie back.

"Give it back, you weren't even eating it, 'Kinnon." When he understood that Marlene wasn't going to do as he told her to, he gave up with a sigh. "I don't know. He's talking about some mythical labyrinth around Hogwarts but I never heard of one."

"That's peculiar."

"He asked me about it." Everyone turned their attention at Lily. "Remus said he's helping Potter with the research."

"You can't imagine just how boring it is."

"I can", said Dorcas, shrugging.

Quietness dominated for some moments, until Lily said decidedly, breaking the thoughtful silence: "I'll go help Remus."

"Not you too!"

She rose from her seat, bending over the table to pat Sirius, who propped his head on the table, on the shoulder. "Maybe I find something interesting to write in my notebook."

"I'm sure you will. Books are dangerous as hell. Take care, one of them might try to eat you." Dorcas's comment was met with a laughter coming from Marlene and Sirius and with a roll of Lily's eyes.

"Then meeting you all has been a pleasure. Hug Mary and Kimmers for me. And don't forget to feed Atticus."

"You ask for quite a lot, Evans. I don't know if we'll be able to finish all these tasks", Dorcas complained, smiling maliciously at her friend. Lily shook her head and turned around on her heels, starting off for the Library.

**_4_**

It was only after she had entered the Library and had taken a long stroll along the bookshelves and had stumbled upon James Potter, that she learned Remus had left just some mere moments before.

"But he can't just leave like that!" Lily snapped her fingers together, mimicking magic.

"Actually, Evans, maybe you should note that Moony has those things called legs. Incredible as it may sound: he uses his legs and _walks._"

"Aren't you a smart one." She rolled her eyes.

"I know", James answered smirking. "Anyway, why were you looking for him?"

She needed a minute to find a good excuse, because – she realized – she had no actual reason to be searching for Remus. "Well, Sirius and the girls –"

"Sirius and the girls", James repeated, cutting Lily off and bursting into a laugh that made Madam Pince glare their way. "A remarkable description of Padfoot, Evans. I'm sorry, continue", he said through his laughter.

"They were getting bored and I remembered Remus complaining about you using him as a tool to help you find information about the labyrinth."

He looked at her unconvinced, folding his arms over his chest and dropping his quill on the parchment. "Are you sure he used that exact words?" He narrowed his eyes and Lily could hardly see them through his rounded glasses.

"Obviously not. It's Remus. He's very discreet. But it wasn't hard to catch the idea."

Turning his attention back to his work, James said: "I'm not using him, by the way. He offered to help me. And now he left because he wanted to. And I didn't stop him, because – "

"You're such a gentleman."

"Indeed."

There was a moment when none of them said anything, and Lily was standing there, feeling awkward. She considered leaving, but the other option was to listen to Marlene's and Dorcas' quarrel and Sirius' boasting, so she just dropped her bag to the ground and sat on the empty seat at the table.

"What are you doing?" James looked up from his parchment up at her with questioning eyes.

"Last time I checked, I was sitting on a chair in the library."

"Yes, Lily, but why are you sitting here? With me?"

Their eyes met for a mere second, before Lily looked away and stare at her fingernails instead. Why did she do it? Why didn't she just left and search for her friends? Why did she just decide to sit next to James Potter (bloody James Potter!)? Because it was in her nature to help.

"Because I promised you I will search for some information about this labyrinth of yours and I didn't. _So_ I'm doing it now."

"It doesn't seem to me as if you'd be investigating anything", he smirked. "Okay, where do you think we should start, Lieutenant Evans?"

"Why am I the lieutenant? I don't like this hierarchy, Potter. I want equal rights."

"Fine. Captain Evans, then."

She smiled, tapping her to the table. "Have you tried _Hogwarts: A History_?"

"Yes."

"_Hogwarts through the years?"_

"Yes."

"_100 not so hidden secrets about Hogwarts_?"

James pointed at the book in front of him. Lily folded her eyebrows, trying to think of another book that could, in any way, be of any help at all.

"What about _The Passageways and Secrets of Hogwarts_?"

"Is there really such a book?" James asked.

Lily nodded, standing up from her seat and disappearing through the shelves. James lost sight of her when she reappeared with a book two times heavier than her. She dropped it onto the table and started flipping through the pages. "You look through that book, Potter, while I'll try to find something in this one. It'll work faster."

It took her very long to find the section she was searching for and it was only then when it occurred to her how calm and swallowed in his work he was. Inexplicably, Remus words echoed in her ears as she turned the pages of the book: 'He does that all the time. Stumbles upon something, gets obsessed with it and never stops thinking or speaking about it. It's basically taking over his entire being.'

_I do that too_, she thought. She knew how he felt like, to be so obsessed with something that she never felt peaceful until she found whatever she wanted to find. She was doing that a lot, especially when it came to schoolwork or friends. _He's ambitious, but it's a crazy kind of ambition, because you close yourself from the world and you live in a shell until you find the key to the mystery you're trying to solve._

"Thank you." His voice broke both the thoughtful silence and Lily's train of thoughts.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Thank you for helping me."

Lily answered him with a smile. "Found anything useful in your book?"

"Nope. These books hate me."

"Same here."

"So, Sirius and the girls?" James asked, closing his volume and making it float back to its rightful place.

"Yeap. Mary and Dorcas had been partnered up with Sirius in Herbology, as you might have noticed, and they made up this story about Marlene transforming into some kind of blue-skinned, wing-y thing when she's angry and Sirius kind of swallowed that." Lily gesticulated as she spoke, which made James laugh. Once again, Madam Pince sent them a glare, but the boy didn't seem to notice.

"Sirius is fascinated by creatures of all sorts."

"Too bad Marlene had spoiled it all and told him she doesn't transform into anything. Now he's just obsessed with finding out what 'MM' stands for", Lily said.

"And what does it stand for?"

Lily raised her eyebrows, pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "How do I know you're not going to tell him?"

"You have my Marauder word that I shall never tell Sirius anything about it", he said, resting a hand on his chest where his heart would be, to prove his loyalty.

"I wouldn't trust your Marauder word for the world, Potter."

"A very smart decision, really."

**_5_**

By the time Remus reached the Great Hall, mostly everyone (except for Kimmers and Peter) was finished with their meals and the lunch break was soon to be finished. He greeted his friends and took the empty seat next to Dorcas, who was groggily pouring pepper in her pumpkin juice.

Sirius, Marlene and Mary were engaged in a discussion about the Quidditch match next weekend. As it seemed, both Marlene and Sirius were betting on the Wimbourne Wasps, while Mary thought the Holyhead Harpies were to win this round.

"Normally, MacDonald would be right. The Harpies have definitely better players than the Wasps, but – "

"But the Wasps have a better tactic this year", said Marlene, interrupting Sirius, and gesticulating while she spoke. "And they also have that new player whatever-his-name-is."

"Stingers", Mary rolled her eyes. 'Stingers' was the nick-name for all the Wasps fans and, sometimes, people who didn't like the team one bit, used it as some kind of an insult. However, it didn't work on Sirius or Marlene; they just laughed and told Mary they didn't even like the Wimbourne Wasps that much.

"C'mon, Mare, you know I'm a Puddlemere fan for life."

"No", said Sirius, decidedly, "the Cannons will take the Cup this year."

"Keep hoping, Black, the Cannon days are over." Mary, who apparently was a Puddlemere United fan as well, felt – once more – to show her hate for the opposite team. The discussion suddenly transformed into an argument, which didn't seem to find an end. Sirius was too stubborn to admit that the games the Chudley Cannons had played recently were lackluster and Mary and Marlene were just indisputably convinced that their team was going to win the Cup.

"It'll be fun if the Falmouth Falcons will win", Dorcas said, but none of the arguers heard her, only Remus, who was gnawing at his mashed potatoes with pomegranate sauce.

"It'll be fun because you're a fan of the team or because it'll be fun to see all of them disappointed?"

"Both." Dorcas smiled, still playing with her juice. "Hey, shouldn't you be with Lily?"

Remus looked confused for a while, trying to comprehend her question. Why would he be with Lily? And then it struck him: Lily wasn't there. Nor was James, but he knew he left him in the Library.

"Where is she though?"

"Well, she went looking for you, because apparently we", she waved her hand with indifference, pointing at the people around the table, "were simply too boring to spend time with. And she has also this new notebook she writes all our 'adventures' in it. She probably wanted to introduce you to it."

"Is that so?" Remus asked, pushing the plate aside and grabbing a slice of apple pie, still warm from the oven.

"Yep. You should feel honoured and also, make sure to come up with an adventurous story about yourself, or else Lily won't consider it worth writing down."

"I'm afraid my life isn't that interesting."

"As if ours is. Honestly, Remus, all we girls do is complain about how we should do something with our lives and then end up doing nothing at all. And then we complain about how boys are immature monkeys and then we complain some more about how all the people are stupid."

The boy looked at her surprised, laughing. "I'm sure you guys do much more than we do."

"Nah, we just complain and complain and then we procrastinate. Or at least, that's what I do." She smiled, playing with her fingers.

"Dorcas, you do much more than that. You study and you spend time with your friends and you go to work", he said, putting a great emphasis on the last word.

She didn't have the reaction he was awaiting. "Lily told you, eh?"

"I hope it doesn't bother you."

"It does", she said, with a serious look upon her face, "that is why I'm never going to talk to you again."

It took Remus a while to understand that she was only mocking him. "You're not meaning that."

"Of course not. Why would it bother me? I know Lily is concerned, but I'm fine. I love working. It feels like I'm actually _doing_ something and it's a great feeling."

Remus glanced at his watch. The bell would ring in less than ten minutes. "Is that what you feel like? Now? Useless?"

"Sometimes. It's like I'm not really bringing any contribution to anything. I mean, I'm studying and studying and that's alright, but sometimes I'm just asking myself if all this paperwork will help me in life. Will every assignment I prepared for Potions for example be of any use when I'll step into the real world?" Dorcas was no longer playing with her fingers. She was looking around, suspiciously, and, for a second, it made Remus feel as if she wasn't really paying much attention to their discussion. However, she rapidly turned her eyes around at him, smiling. "Do you understand what I mean?"

"Yes, you feel like we're being trapped in here, between these castle walls and none of us really knows what lies outside them", Remus said, taking a long sip out of his cup.

"We really don't; we think we do, but we don't. We only spend three months outside the Hogwarts grounds and we don't really see world as it is in those months. As for the time we're at Hogwarts the only connection we have with the outside world", she stopped for a second to take a deep breath, "is the mail we get from our relatives. But that isn't – "

She was interrupted by McGonagall's shrill voice echoing through the entire Hall. "Attention, please." Everyone turned around, but the annoying murmur did not die. "I will have to ask all the Prefects and the Heads to lead the students to their common rooms. All the classes are dismissed for the remain of the day." The announcement was met with a joyous 'hurrah' from most of the students and with a questioning look from others.

"This is no joke', Dorcas said, as she and Remus were leaving their seats. "Look at McGonagall. She's pale and seems very worried about something."

"Do you think something happened?" Remus directed some second years to go to their dormitories and not seek for trouble. They conformed half-heartedly.

"Obviously," Sirius said.

'You don't _really_ think McGonagall would dismiss any of her classes if it was just raining or something?' asked Mary.

"McGonagall would hold her classes even if there would be an earthquake and a tsunami all the same."

"It could rain with cows and she wouldn't renounce on her classes."

"But that's silly", said Kimmers, who was carrying a piece of apple pie wrapped up in a tissue, "why would it rain with cows?"

"Guys", Dorcas sighed, trying to maintain pace with her friends, "this is serious. Something happened."

Sirius smiled, swathing an arm around her shoulders. "Doe, calm down. What could have possibly happened?"

"Well, for the beginning", she started, breathing heavier with every step she took, "in case you didn't notice James and Lily are _missing_."

"So?"

"SO? What if something happened to them?"

"What could have ever happened to them? Dorcas, calm down. It's alright; it's probably not as bad as you think it is anyway."

"They could have got captured by cows," Peter, walking close behind them, said. It made both Sirius and Dorcas turn around and the boy bumped into the lot of them.

"D'you have a secret passion for cows, Pettigrew or …?" Marlene asked. She didn't have time to laugh at her own joke with the others, since, right in that moment, she was knocked to the ground by a girl with dark red hair. As Marlene tumbled to the ground, Rwanda, the girl who caused the accident, tripped over her legs and collapsed next to the other, right at the base of the stairs. "Rwanda, what in name of Merlin are you doing?"

"Sorry", she mumbled, getting up and fixing her loose bun. "I was running."

"Bad timing, then", said Marlene, while Sirius helped her up. "Don't you know we should all leave for our dormitories? McGonagall told us to."

"I do."

"But?" asked Sirius. The group was now split in two. Mary, Kimmers and Remus were already lost in the labyrinth of staircases, as the rest of them were still stationary, helping Marlene and Rwanda recover from the impact.

"But I might have heard a bird chirp something really interesting."

"A _real_ bird or a girl?"

Rwanda looked at him with a pitiful look in her eyes, while Dorcas punched Sirius in the shoulder, making him glare at her.

"Guys, it's really not the time to argue", Marlene said. "So, what did you find out, Rwanda?"

"I found out why our classes are dismissed", she said in a whisper, signalling them to come closer if they wanted to hear. They all rounded the girl and awaited the news. After a long, meaningful pause, she finally spoke: "Apparently, a student is missing. A girl."

Dorcas went pale and nearly fainted. It took both Sirius and Peter to hold her up on her feet.

"Does anyone know who the missing person is?", Marlene asked, holding her friend by the arm.

"No."

"Lily." Dorcas' voice sounded harsh and she seemed close to tears.

"Let's not panic just now, Meadowes." Sirius's smile faded soon away and he looked pensive. "I'm sure Evans' fine, let's just go to the common room and wait."

They all nodded and rushed to the stairs.

**_6_**

None of them realized how or when they had lost track of time. Lily was flipping through the pages of a tome that looked as if it was going to disintegrate in her hands and James was just scribbling the word 'labyrinth' all over his parchment. That was why, when they heard the irritating sound of Madam Pince's heals clicking against the floor, they both nearly jumped out of their seats.

"What are you two still doing here?" Madam Pince hated children probably as much as Filch did and Lily often asked herself how came she got to work in a school, where children teemed like ants in a colony.

"We lost track of time", said Lily. "We'll walk to class right now." With a swish of her wand she made the books fly to their shelves and with her spare hand she stuffed her belongings into her schoolbag.

"Walk to class? All the classes are dismissed for the rest of the day and everyone has to return to their common rooms", said Madam Pince. Her voice resounded like a whistle in the Library.

"Why would the classes be dismissed?" asked James.

"You do not question the Headmaster's decisions, you impertinent child! Now leave."

"Isn't she lovely?' commented James when they were already distancing from the Library.

Lily, on the other hand, wasn't paying attention to James, but ransacking in her bag. Realizing she was unable to find what she was looking for, she drew her wand.

"_Accio 'Biggest Unsolved Mysteries of the Wizarding World'". _A huge book came flying out of the inside of the sack, nearly hitting Lily. James, however, caught it first.

"Did you sneak this out of the Library, Evans?" His smirk broadened as he handed Lily the book.

Once again, she didn't listen to what he had to say, but she flicked through the pages of the book like mad. "Look', she said, tossing the book in his hands and pointing at some words written in the corner of the page.

"Evans, you steal a book out of the Library and now you write notes on it? You're probably the biggest book propane I have ever met!"

"That's not my handwriting, you idiot. Just read it."

Though he didn't seem convinced, James started reading: "_Poor Morning Glory, trapped inside the hidden labyrinth for the rest of her eternity._ Yeah, so? It doesn't really help us, you see. We already knew it was a hidden labyrinth and I don't get the first part so –"

"Read the underlined sentence." Lily sighed, exasperated.

"Oh", he said and then resumed reading aloud, "_The Legend of the Withered Morning Glory offers us information about the existence of a tomb manufactured somewhere in the middle of a hidden labyrinth, that apparently lies under the castle of Hogwarts."_

James re-read the sentence thrice, before he closed the book and handed it to Lily with a proud look in his eyes. "You've found something, Lily."

She nodded, smiling. "Now we need to find said legend. Maybe we will find out more about the tomb and what lies in there."

"A skeleton lies in there, Lily."

"Yeah, but whose skeleton? It must have been someone important, if their buried them under Hogwarts."

"Or loved", said James, starting down the hall, with his hands in his pockets.

"What do you mean?" Lily followed him, walking by his right.

"Well, morning glories bring peace and happiness. You wouldn't bury someone with a morning glory if you hated them, right?"

"Where did you get that information about morning glories?" Lily seemed confused and it amused James to no end.

"Mom's obsessed with plants," he said, shrugging.

"I didn't know that."

"Well, you couldn't have. It's an old superstition. Mom learned it from grandma, and grandma learned it from her mother and –"

"I got the point."

They strolled in silence for a while, both of them absorbed in their thoughts, which were similar to those of the other, or, at least, they led to the same subject: the labyrinth. Lily was staring at the floor under her feet, trying to imagine she could see through the thick stone. She pictured an impressive labyrinth of huge proportions, something that possibly looked like Daedalus' labyrinth. James's thoughts were much simpler: he wondered why some Slytherins would talk about such a subject and if the morning glory was some kind of a sign that had to lead them to the labyrinth.

"Why do you think it's called _'The Legend of the Withered Morning Glory'_?" Lily was the first to speak, but it didn't take James by surprise. He was thinking the same. He told her they had to find the legend first.

"I suppose you're right. But I was thinking, maybe it's a metaphor to describe the person in the tomb. Maybe she was deeply sad when she died, so whoever buried her left her with a morning glory to bring her peace and happiness in the afterlife."

James frowned, running a hand through his already dishevelled hair. "What makes you think it's a woman buried in there?"

Lily send him a knowing look, "Would a woman bury a man with a flower?"

"I guess not."

There was another moment of silence. The only sound that was distinguishable was the sound of their shoes on the stoned floor and James's loud sighing.

Then, suddenly, Lily smiled and pulled James by the sleeve. He turned around to look at her and was surprised to see her beaming like that. He couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey", she said.

"What?"

"We got along today. Without bickering, that is."

"The day is long, Lily, and it's not ended yet. We have plenty of time left to find something arguable enough."

She shook her head, quickening her pace, but the smile hadn't quite faded from her face. Without realising, she had left James some feet behind and when he called after her she was surprised to see he wasn't not walking at her side, but leaning against a wall, hands deepened in his pockets.

"We should go this way", he pointed at the tapestried wall. "I know a shortcut that could take us right on the seventh floor, very near to the Gryffindor Tower."

She turned around on her heels, starting his way. "How come you know _all _ the secret passageways?"

"I'm a Marauder."

"And that's not an answer."

"It's the answer I choose to give. A Marauder doesn't divulge his secrets."

Lily opened her mouth, looking as if she was going to contradict him but then, deciding against it, shut her mouth, making her look like a fish. He laughed, and, with the help of his wand he pulled it back and a hidden door was revealed. "_Alohomora._" The door was unlocked. When Lily opened it, a strange smell swayed around the air, penetrating her nostrils.

"What is that smell?"

"No idea", he shrugged, "probably some dead rat or something. Shall we?" He pointed at the deserted corridor in front of them and Lily was the first to step in.

Truth be told, she found it a bit creepy and though she had her wand to lighten her way and she could still hear James's steps following close behind her, Lily still felt her heart beat ten times faster. She turned on her heels when she caught the sound of the door being opened and spotted James, looking back at her.

"Why do you think Dumbledore suspended all the today's classes?" Lily's question was met by silence and she thought he was not going to answer; in reality, she had only asked because all that coldness and darkness frightened her, but since she was too proud to show her fear, she tried to find refuge in conversation.

"Something must've happened." Though she could not see him, she imagined him shrugging or nervously running a hand through his hair.

"Where does this take, again?"

"Seventh floor. Very near to the common room."

Lily nodded once again, but wasn't sure if James could see her through the thick darkness. Somewhere in the background she perceived the light noise of her shoes on the stoned floor. Once or twice she turned around to see if James was still behind her and each time she found him there. He greeted her with a grin and then she continued walking.

Lily was wondering what could have happened that all the classes were dismissed. She was about to spin around once again to check James's presence, when, unexpectedly, she tripped over something. Something that was dawdling on a large area of the floor.

"Ugh", grunted Lily, propping her body on her hands and trying to regain her posture. Her wand rolled on the surface for some time until it hit the wall.

"Lily? Are you alright?" She could hear James's voice, but was unable to tell how far he was from where she sat now.

"Yeah, just tripped over something."

"Tripped over _what_?"

"I don't know, I lost my wand." She then got up and ran to the place where her wand was placed, illuminating the wall.

"Are you injured?"

"No, it's okay. I got my wand." Lily twirled around to see what caused her fall, but it took a while until her eyes accommodated with the light. What she saw wasn't exactly what she expected to see and for a mere second she had no reaction; that until James reached her.

"Good Lord", James said, staring at the body in front of them. The girl was lying on the floor, with her hair disheveled and dirt covering her face, hands full of blood and ragged clothes. Instinctively, Lily bent down over the body and took the girl's wrist to check her pulse.

"She's alive." Lily brushed the hair out of her face, pointing with the wand hand the light at her face. She probably felt her presence, because the girl opened her eyes and Lily identified her at once.

Emma Goodwin was hardly recognizable with the deep wound, that cut from the left cheek to the nose and the bloodshot eyes. As Lily remembered her, Emma was a friendly girl with a mellow voice an enough responsibility to be a good 7th year Prefect.

In a rush, Emma caught her wrist and pulled Lily closer. "I killed him." Her scream echoed in Lily's ears for a while, until she heard a soft thump somewhere near her. Ahead of her was James, bowing over something himself. It took Lily a while to catch a glimpse of what it was, but she soon made the connection between what Emma had told her and what she saw.

"I killed him", the girl kept insisting.

"James?"

It took him some time to answer, probably because he was as shocked as her. "He's dead."

_Oh, no. _

"Who is he?"

"I don't know him. Some old man."

Cold as ice as they were, Emma's fingers kept fidgeting on her wrist. Her fingernails were cutting deep into Lily's skin and she could feel the warm blood pulsating where the grip was too tight.

"We should tell someone." James was now next to her, his eyes locked on the girl. He moved his hands forward and encircled them around Emma's hand, softly removing it from Lily's wrist. "You go, I'll stay", he looked at her.

"No, you can't stay here alone with them."

"Lily, the man is dead, as for her, she seems too traumatized to even speak, let alone attack me."

Traumatized she might have been, but Emma seemed to grasp what he said and, as if she were under a curse, she jumped at his neck, knocking him down to the ground. They rolled for a while, she presumably trying to suffocate him and he, trying to escape her clutch. Some momentslater, Emma was lying petrified on the floor, while James was grasping for air. Lily jogged to him, placing a protective hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded.

"I say we both go. She'll be stunned for at least twenty more minutes. We can tie her up, just to make sure she doesn't run off, but we'll have enough time to reach McGonagall's office." Her hand was shaking uncontrollably on his shoulder so she removed it, realizing just then how fast her heart was beating.

She didn't pretend to be a friend of the girl, but little that she'd seen of her at the Prefect meetings proved her that Emma Goodwin was a big-hearted girl, definitely not the mad type. _Which leaves only one option: she's been Imperiused._ The thought alone made her entire body tremble. _Why would anyone do that to her?_

"Lily?" James's voice was coarse and he had some red traces on his neck where Emma's fingers tried to smother him.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I'm just a bit shocked?"

"Only a bit?"

She looked nervously around. "We should go."

James nodded, emerging. He lent her a hand to get up and then added, "Take my hand. Merlin knows who else you're going to trip over."

In normal circumstances she would have refused him intently, but right now, all she could think of was the dead corpse and the poor girl and James's hand was carefully gripping hers, somehow guaranteeing safety.

**_7_**

He was seated on his chair, head propped on his folded hands and his eyes staring in front of him, at the empty classroom. He could feel his stomach churn as he looked back at what he'd done, but there was no going back now. It had to be done; the Dark Lord had asked for it and it wasn't an offer he could refuse. The Dark Lord made no offers; he made demands and expected people to do as they were told. And so he did.

It was not because he had killed a man. He could look back at all the people he had killed; he remembered all their names and sometimes dreamed of them when he was lost somewhere between sleep and awareness. It was simply because he had set up everything, so that an innocent student was suddenly guilty of a crime they had never committed. He felt sorry for the girl, sorry because she would strongly believe it was she who had killed the man; sorry because her friends and her family would turn their backs at her; sorry because she will never recover from the shock provoked by blood and death; sorry because she was weak and weak people never have the courage to leave their pasts behind.

_I am weak too, _he told himself, burying his face in his palms. He was weak, but he was a different kind of weak person. He felt like giving up every minute and running away, but he never actually did all the things he felt doing, He felt weak but he didn't let it show and that was why no one would ever accuse him of anything. No one will believe Icarus Morton, the friendly DaDa teacher, could ever kill an innocent man. _He wasn't killed because he was innocent, but because he was brave enough to state his opinions out loud. And that had cost him his life. _

A knock on the door made him startle and tear his eyes away from the unoccupied desks. He wasn't surprised when Minerva McGonagall stepped in the room with a stern look upon her face. He felt young again; a pupil, and Professor McGonagall was there to send him to detention. But she didn't send him into detention this time. When she spoke, her voice almost seemed alarmed. " Here you are, Icarus. We've been looking for you. Two students have accidentally found the missing girl … and the body."

He looked her right into the eyes and swallowed hard before he answered. "Body? Whose body?"

"A man from Hogsmeade, apparently. It was a dirty job, if you ask me. And the girl seems to be under the Imperius Curse. She claims she had killed the man with her own hand."

Icarus stared at the older professor in shock. "Do you – do you want me to check her up?"

"If you'd be so kind," McGonagall sighed, turning around on her heels. Icarus followed her closely through the halls of the school until they reached the Hospital Wing. He could hear the whizzing sound of murmuring and he saw two students sitting on the stairs near the door. The girl, Lily Evans, looked death pale and had a blanket around herself, which she pulled tightly against her body. The boy, James Potter, sat next to her, an arm encircled protectively around her shoulders, staring at their shoes and saying nothing. It was not hard to presume they were the students who had found the body of Demetrius Hornsby and the Hufflepuff girl.

"Enter the Wing, Icarus. You will find the poor girl in there and the Headmaster as well. I need to talk to Mr. Potter and Miss Evans about what had happened."

Nodding, but remaining silent, Icarus swished his wand and the door flung open. As he was told, the girl was there, accompanied by Albus Dumbledore and other Hogwarts Professors. They all turned around to see who had entered, but it was the headmaster who spoke up first. "Icarus. Treat her with care. Poor Miss Goodwin is still in shock."

"Have you checked her wand?" He stepped forward and was now face to face with the girl. She was staring at him in shock and was still shaking. Fortunately for him, there was no way she could remember him.

"No. We left this to you," Dumbledore said.

"Hello, Emma", Icarus forced a smile as he took the girl's wand. "How are you feeling?"

The girl did not respond at once. She wrapped her arms around herself, her reddened eyes staring somewhat through him. "Numb." Her answer did not surprise him at all.

"I killed him", she said, after a long silence. Icarus was still holding her wand.

"She's been saying that since Mr. Potter and Miss Evans had found her", Madam Pomfrey told him. He nodded in response.

"Emma, will you look at me for a second? I have to do a necessary check-up, something trivial."

Emma turned her gaze at him. "Will I go to Azkaban?"

"Don't trouble yourself with such ideas." He patted her softly on the shoulder and pointed his wand at her eyes. "Don't close your eyes."

The girl barely moved while he murmured silent incantations. A silver flash of light came out of his wand and swayed around the air for a second, before it enclosed itself around Emma's body. She didn't seem concerned about it and, some seconds later, the fragile binding disappeared returning to its place in Icarus's wand.

"Very well, Madam Pomfrey. You may give Miss Goodwin some Sleeping Draught. Some sleep will help her mood improve."

They all waited until Emma drank the entire potion and fell into a dreamless slumber. There was a moment of silence, and the only audible thing was Emma's soft breathing. From the window, Icarus could see the Black Lake, shimmering in the twilight and for a mere second, everything seemed peaceful and beautiful.

"Is there any trace of the Imperius curse?" Slughorn asked.

"I'm afraid not. Of course the Imperius curse, as you may all know, doesn't leave visible signs, yet the girl acts peculiar." He could see, from where he was seated, Slughorn shift uncomfortably. "However, what I find more concerning at the moment is that the last charm to be cast with Miss Goodwin's wand is the Killing Curse."

Minerva McGonagall who had entered the room just some moments ago made an uncomfortable sound and cupped her cheek with one hand, concerned. "Dear Lord."

"Miss Goodwin could have never killed the old man", Professor Flitwick said in an undertone.

"No, she isn't the one who had killed him," said Dumbledore and all the pairs of eyes turned to see him. "But whoever did, has made a smart move. He or she had used an innocent child as a diversion. And that person is inside the castle walls. I'm afraid I will have to inform the Aurors."

"We will also need someone from the Ministry to … investigate the case."

"And there's another problem", began Icarus. The silence of the castle scared him, freezing his blood in his veins. He took a deep breath before he spoke again. "The girl insists she is culpable."

"But she's just a girl', McGonagall protested, eyes fixed on the Hufflepuff. "I've known her for the past seven years and she would never do such a terrible thing."

"Though I trust your word, I'm afraid that is not enough to prove her innocence, Minerva." Dumbledore rose from his seat. "I will have to speak to Mr. Potter and Miss Evans about all the unfortunate events they've been through. If you will be so kind to send them to my office, Minerva. I assume you sent them to their rooms." The woman nodded and exited the room once more. Dumbledore then turned his attention to the other teachers. "As for the rest of you, I will have to ask you to patrol the castle hallways tonight."

**_8_**

They were still seated on the stairs, where they've been abandoned waiting, when Professor McGonagall walked out of the infirmary. She looked at the both of them with pity in her eyes and Lily presumed they must have looked piteous. Lily pulled the blanket she had been offered closer to her body and she could feel James shift uncomfortably next to her. He had been acting very mature in the whole business and Lily gave him credit for it.

"I'm sorry you had to go through this." McGonagall was now in front of them, and Lily was about to rise, but the professor shook her head. "You may sit, Miss Evans. I need to talk to the both of you."

James nodded and Lily was silent, waiting.

"I will have to ask you not to talk to anyone about what you saw", she went on, knotting her fingers together. "I will not ask you any questions regarding the incident, as I will have to leave this task to Professor Dumbledore."

"We will not utter a word about it," James assured her, seeing as Lily wasn't decided to speak. He looked at her with a little concern in his eyes.

McGonagall nodded, stretching a hand which she softly placed on Lily's shoulder. "How do you feel, Miss Evans?"

Lily had always – out of all her teachers – liked McGonagall the best, though she never knew why. It might have been her authority or her way of teaching, but in that moment, Lily figured it out. While she was very strict, she was a motherly figure, and in that particular moment it reminded her so much of her mother, had she not remembered it was her teacher, she would have jumped at her neck, crying.

"I'm still a bit shocked, Professor", Lily said, earnestly. "I just can't seem to put a finger on it: who would do such a thing to Emma?"

"Death Eaters" James said and McGonagall looked at him without contradicting him.

"James, you can't just make such an assumption. You don't have facts," Lily said.

"A man's dead, Lily, and a girl has been Imperiused! What other facts do you need?"

"You don't have to shout at me." Lily's voice was quiet and she could feel her eyes wet from the tears she was fighting back. She knew he was boiling with anger, but the least thing she needed now was an argument.

"Mr. Potter." It was all what McGonagall said and it silenced him at once.

"Is it true?" Lily asked. McGonagall looked her in the eyes and Lily could have sworn her pupils dilated, showing fear.

"I don't know more than you do, Miss Evans. But Aurors will come at Hogwarts to", she took a deep breath whilst she spoke, "investigate the case and, if necessary, protect the school."

"It _is_ necessary", James remarked. McGonagall sent him a stern look, making him look embarrassed.

"That would be all for the time being." McGonagall let out a sigh. "I will escort you to the common room myself."

All the Gryffindor students were stuffed in the Common Room discussing their new topic (the story which Sirius named "The Missing Bird"). No one was told who was the missing student but rumour said it was a girl. Or more likely: Rwanda spread the news that classes had been dismissed because a person was missing and apparently is was a female.

James wasn't anywhere to be found either, but Sirius did not fret about it. Knowing James, he was probably somewhere safe, having a great time. Remus and Peter were absorbed in conversation with Dorcas (who had been calmed in the mean time), Mary and Kimmers ( the only one who seemed to be talking about food, rather than about the disappearance).

After a few hours of listening to the same conversation all over again, he decided to find someone to have a decent talk to. Normally, he would have found James and talk about nonsense, but since he was gone, he had not other choice but come across someone else. Therefore, when Sirius spotted Marlene sitting somewhere by the fire all by herself, reading, he walked towards the girl grinning.

"Hullo, 'Kinnon."

She didn't seem startled to hear his voice; she rose her eyes from the letter she was reading to him. "Hello, Sirius."

Without asking for permission to join her, the boy sat in the empty spot next to her on the sofa. "Secret admirers?" he asked, pointing at the letter in her hands.

"Merlin, no", she laughed, cocking her head to the side as she did so. It took her some minutes to calm herself down. Though staring at her confused, Sirius had to admit it was a nice sight, seeing Marlene laugh with such an appetite. "It's a letter from my brother", she said finally.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Anything interesting?"

"Not really. He's just telling me mum's going to divorce from her husband." Marlene shrugged, eyes focused on the fire in front of her. "Again", she added shortly afterwards.

"Oh", he repeated. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." She turned her head around, smiling at him. "She's been doing that for years, and anyway the guy was an asshole. Believe me."

"Really?" It was Sirius' turn to have a hysterics. "It is hard to imagine that a woman can have such a horrible taste in men."

"Well, she does. I mean, apart from dad, there has never been a normal guy in her life. There was this one who called me 'Sweet Pie' and I threw him in a lake once, because I couldn't stand him. And then they broke up."

"Why?"

"Because I told my mum he's a fraud and he plans on running away with all her jewels right after the wedding", Marlene said.

"Never took you for a liar, 'Kinnon."

"You can't blame me. He looked like a balloon and ate all our sweets. And he said I don't have talent at drawing." She rolled her eyes, folding her hands over her chest.

"Do you?"

"What?"

"D'you have talent? At drawing?"

She patted him lightly on the shoulder and then allowed herself to get engulfed by the comfy sofa. "Well, of course I do, Sirius. Everything I do is perfect."

"Cocky much." Sirius smiled, propping himself to one of the pillows of the couch.

"Was joking. I don't claim to have much of a talent at anything in particular. I'm average. It was just that he had insulted a painting I had made before my father passed away."

They were both silent for a moment. Marlene was swallowed by nostalgia and Sirius was simply trying to act nicely to the girl and not offend her in any way. She was, after all, innocent and his only talking partner at the moment.

"You loved him much."

Marlene tore her eyes from the fire to look at Sirius. She seemed surprised. "I did love him a great deal, yeah. But funny thing is, I can't even remember him. The last time I saw him was the first day of 'MM'".

"That 'MM' again", he sighed, suddenly changing the subject. "Look, if you don't want me to find out what it is, I'm not going to insist."

"Never took you for a gentleman", she retorted, a half-smile forming in the corner of her lips.

"Ouch."

"You can't deny it though."

"Still _ouch_."

"Why? You thought I was thinking better of you? You never gave me the opportunity to."

"Pf. Of course I did."

"When?"

"Well, I saved a damsel in distress once," he said.

"Was she beautiful? It's no good story if the girl is ugly."

"Pretty. I was better-looking, nobody can deny that, but she was fine enough."

"What did you save her from?", Marlene asked, wanting to hear a good story from him.

"The cold."

"Noble."

"Obviously."

"And you said _I_ was cocky." Marlene laughed again and Sirius could've sworn he had never seen her that happy. Smiling and laughing seemed to make her prettier than she was in reality (and she wasn't an unpleasant one). "Morning Misfortune."

"Sorry?"

"Morning Misfortune", she repeated. "That's what 'MM' stands for. Not some illness or initials."

"Too bad. My last guess was that it were your initials. Marlene McKinnon, you see."

"I think I know my own name, _Sirius Black_."

"You're not proving anything with that. Everyone knows my name. Anyway, what is Morning Misfortune?"

"Exactly what it seems to be. I'm a bit superstitious, you see. I have this thing were I hate waking up early in the morning and therefore abhor mornings with a burning passion. This is why I tend to believe that all the bad things that ever happen to me take place on mornings."

"Truer words have never been spoken, McKinnon. Over the years, I have learned that if you hate mornings enough long, they will hate you in return."

Marlene's guffaw seemed to fill the entire common room, covering up all the voices around. They sat there for a long time, laughing. She was laughing because she seemed to find his words amusing and he was laughing because there was something striking about her laughter.

It was nearly 4 pm when they reached the Fat Lady. Lily had given up on her blanket and James was more silent than she had ever seen him. McGonagall was following close behind and all the way to the common room. None of them dared say a word.

"Password?" the Fat Lady asked.

"Musky pond", answered James. The painting flung open, but he didn't step in at once. He left room for the House Head to walk in and then Lily.

All the heads in the room were directed their way, Lily knew that, but considering her horrible headache, she could hardly see any of them. "I will go to sleep now, if that is alright", she told the teacher, turning around to James, but he was looking away from her, so she did not bid him goodbye.

She heard someone's steps following her as she sprinted up the stairs to the dormitory. McGonagall was announcing something downstairs in the common room, but, supposing it was nothing she didn't know yet, Lily shut the door behind her, ignoring the footsteps. Whoever it might have been, she wasn't in the mood of talking to anybody or answering stupid questions.

She knew one thing and that was the only thing that clouded her mind ever since they had found the body and Emma Goodwin: Emma was a muggleborn, just like her, and if it was truly the making of the Death Eaters, then it could have been her instead of Emma. The thought frightened her.

The door to the dormitory was ajar and Lily toddled in, leaving it open. She looked around herself and wasn't surprised when she perceived the emptiness of the room.

_A good shower will help me loosen up_, she told herself as she entered the bathroom. The shower was indeed comforting and the water felt warm on her skin, but the thoughts did not go away. They kept popping up in her mind, whenever she was trying to leave them behind.

When she was done with the showering, Lily reached for a bathrobe and put it on. It was an old bathrobe she had had for two years and she was always thinking of buying a new on, because the colour of this one was simply ghastly, but whenever she was shopping with her friends, she kept forgetting about it.

There was steam in the air when she left the bathroom and with a wave of her wand, Lily made it vanish.

"Lily!" she heard Dorcas from behind her, but didn't have any time to see her, since she jumped at her neck, hugging her. The grip was so tight, Lily could barely breathe.

Dorcas's face was buried in Lily's bathrobe. "We joked that you would die killed by a book and then you didn't show up and then it was a rumour about a girl disappearing and I thought –", she trailed off. There was a strange sound coming from her blonde friend, that Lily assumed was crying.

Forgetting about her own troubles, Lily stroked Dorcas's hair. "It's okay, I'm here." She pulled Dorcas away and they looked at one another for a while; Dorcas with her eyes puffy and red and Lily, trying to put on a smile.

"Where have you been?"

"The Library, as I told you."

"Until now?" Dorcas sent her a suspicious look and Lily knew no lie could convince her. "And how come you came escorted by McGonagall and Potter was with you?"

"You're asking too many questions, Doe", Lily sighed, "none of them I am eager to answer, honestly."

"I know something happened, you can't fool me."

"Good." Lily gave her a reassuring smile as she went to her luggage, taking out some trainers and a shirt. "What has McGonagall told you?"

"That anyone who leaves the Common Room without permission will get into detention for the rest of the year and will also lose the House fifty points." There was a moment of silence between the both, until Dorcas spoke again. "So, are you going to tell me what happened?"

Before Lily could open her mouth, the door shut open, making a horrible noise. "Lily?" Rwanda peered in. "Ah, there you are", she said when she spotted Lily. "Dumbledore wants to see you. Professor Morton is waiting outside the Common Room for you and James."

"Right." Lily nodded, looking at Rwanda. She seemed to take a great pleasure in sending this message. "I'll be there in a minute."

When she stepped out of the portrait hole, Lily was surprised to see that Rwanda had been indeed right and Professor Morton was already waiting for her. She greeted him politely and he only nodded and then they started for Dumbledore's office. Lily had never been to Dumbledore's office before; Mary and Marlene had, even Kimmers and Dorcas, but that hadn't been her case. Whenever she was getting a detention – and that happened extremely rarely – she was fixing everything with McGonagall. Now that she thought about it, all here recollections of Professor Dumbledore were from what she's seen of him in school; she had never got the opportunity to talk to him face to face. The mere thought made her nervous.

_Too bad the circumstances are so tragic. _

They turned to the left and then again to the left and then they were walking down on a long, deserted corridor. After a while Lily lost track of her footsteps and allowed herself to get absorbed by the thoughts troubling her mind.

"Professor Morton?" He was walking in front of her and Lily couldn't see his expression, but she assumed he must have been angry because of all that happened.

"Yes, Miss Evans." His voice was soft and it was only when he turned around that Lily realized how calmly he was treating the situation. She had been terribly wrong about him.

"Do you think", she said, pausing in midsentence, trying to pick only one question she needed an answer to. "Do you think it's a message? What happened to Emma and – erm – the unknown man?"

"I'm afraid I'm not the one to notify you on such things." He stopped in front of a huge griffin. "_Ice lolly_," he said and then the statue creaked, opening up and revealing the stairs to the Headmaster's office.

Professor Morton waved a hand in the direction of the stairs, waiting for Lily to step through the hole and ascend. "Professor Dumbledore will be there in a minute", he added, when they reached a door and with a swish of his wand he flung it open.

Lily walked inside the room. Paintings were hanging on all walls, but they were silent, some sleeping, some just simply watching. She was so astonished by the sight of the room, that she did not hear her teacher leave. Peculiar instruments were flying around and next to the desk was a beautiful, red bird, which Lily recognized to be a Phoenix.

She walked to the bird, stretching a hand to stroke his head, when a voice mad her jolt. "His name is Fawkes." It was not Dumbledore's voice, but James's.

"I'm sorry", he said, "I didn't mean to scare you. I reckoned it was the only way to wake you up to my presence here."

"Dumbledore wanted to see you too?"

"Yeah."

"Where is he?"

"Probably talking to Ministry people and Aurors. And probably to parents too. By dawn many students will leave, seeing as Hogwarts isn't a safe place."

"Dumbledore will take care of it and the incident will be forgotten in less than some weeks", Lily said, more like trying to reassure herself than James.

"He's a human being, Lily. He can't fight Voldemort _and _his Death Eaters on his own and if they penetrated the school –"

"And what do you suggest?"

"We could –"

"_We_ are only children. _We're _not even of age yet. And even if we were", she continued, when she saw James opening his mouth to contradict her, "we know nothing of the world outside these walls and you know that very well. You think that if you get news from your parents telling you what happens out there will get you ready for a war? You need training for that, years and years and _we _are not trained for a war."

"I know exactly what kind of threat lies outside the castle walls and guess what? That threat _has breached inside Hogwarts!_"

"You can't be sure of that", she retorted and her tone was so quiet, he nearly thought she wasn't even talking to him. There was fear in her eyes and he would have normally cared, but he was scared too and he was angry and he wanted Dumbledore to come faster and finish all this, but instead, they continued fighting.

"It was _Dark Magic_, Lily. _Isn't that enough clear to you?"_ He ignored the look in her eyes, even the voice in his head telling him to stop; he just went on and he knew it was wrong and she would never talk to him again, but he was James Potter. Impulsive, proud James Potter and he didn't think one bit before he spoke again. "I wouldn't be surprised if Snape and his kind would be involved in this."

Her face went pale and he could swear he could see the rosiness in her cheeks disappear. For a second, he was about to back down, apologise and act as if nothing had happened, but then she snapped. "Don't you involve Severus in this! This is murder we talk about, murder and Dark Magic, as you said! I know you think lowly of him, but you're accusing some students of _murder!_" She didn't scream or even speak loudly; she kept her voice down, but to him, it seemed as if she was yelling out the words.

However, he didn't back down. "After all he's done, after he's called you _that_ … you're still protecting him! Honestly, Evans, you're pathetic."

"How dare you –"

"Am I interrupting something?" someone else joined in, and James was about to yell a 'YES', when he turned around to see it was his Headmaster. Dumbledore looked calm, his blue eyes watching them both from behind his glasses.

"No, Professor. We're sorry", Lily said, shifting uncomfortably.

The older man frowned. "Sorry? What for?"

Lily stared at him, speechless, and it was James's turn to try and get them out of the mess they've got themselves into. "For fighting in your office, Professor."

"Oh", Dumbledore said, "I wouldn't apologise for such a thing. Fighting with one another proves that you have different opinions, and therefore you think. And I believe that thinking is an activity we should all practice."

Lily nodded respectfully, while James was motionless as a rock.

"I need to ask you two a few questions, so you better sit down." Dumbledore's lighthearted expression faded in less than a second, changing to a much more solemn one. His right hand was pointing at the chair placed near the window, and the both of them stared at it. James was starting to feel guilty, so he was looking at Lily, trying to signal her that she should be the one to sit on it, but she was blatantly ignoring his look, so, in the end, neither sat.

"If you're not going to sit, then we can start." He looked at them through his moon-shaped glasses, and then added, "What were you two doing on that corridor?"

"We were at the Library and Madam Pince informed us the classes were dismissed so we started off for the Common Room and then James suggested we take a shortcut."

There was silence for a moment and James could see Lily toying with her hands nervously, but he ignored it (or attempted to).

"Who found Miss Goodwin first?"

"Lily did."

"Did she speak to any of you?"

"Yes, Professor. She kept telling us …" Lily looked James in the eyes and choked, "She kept telling us she had killed the man. It was as if she was in a trance."

"Anything else?"

James shrugged.

Lily sighed. "She – erm – she jumped at James's neck trying to kill him when we decided to leave for Professor McGonagall."

Dumbledore nodded and then another moment of silence followed.

"Who saw the body?"

"I did."

They were both looking at their feet as the headmaster looked at them and asked them more questions of the same manner, until they were finally dismissed. "Professor Morton will be waiting for you downstairs to take you to your common room", he told them, when they were about to close the door behind them.

They were silent all the way down the stairs and then on the way to the Gryffindor tower. Professor Morton was sometimes scoffing and sighing, but that was the only sound their group made the entire time. When they reached the portrait hole, the teacher said. "I hope you make it from here. I have some job to finish."

Lily assured him that they were fine and then watched him leave, before she turned around at him. "I don't expect you to understand any of my actions, Potter, because you don't know me, but don't go around throwing insults at me and accusing me of something I did not do."

"You were defending him – "

"I wasn't", she insisted, "I wasn't, stop saying that." Her voice trembled for a mere second, but then she snapped back to reality. "I'm just trying to make you see the difference between school bullying and actual murder, Potter."

"You think you understand this war, Evans." He was again pushing the line, but again, he didn't stop. "But you don't."

"I don't?"

"No."

"I don't understand this war, Potter?" Her voice was sharp, cutting down through his flesh. "I'm the bloody cause of this war. I and all other Muggleborns, so don't you tell me I don't understand this war, because between the two of us _I_ am the one in plus. Not you, the perfect pureblood! No one wants you dead, no one thinks you're a surplus!"

"See? You're doing it again. You, along with all the other Muggleborns. You all think you're the only to get to suffer from this war, but you're wrong! You know nothing!"

"I don't think I'm the only one to suffer." Her voice was shaking and barely visible tears were forming in her years. "I just know that it could have been anyone instead of Emma there."

"Don't – "

"It could have been Mary or it could have been me. They wouldn't care, because we're all scum to them. I know that for sure. Don't you tell me I'm pulling the victim, because I'm not. I don't see anyone threatening your existence, Potter."

They stared at one another and then Lily turned around on her heels, wiping the tears away her face with her sleeve. She mumbled the password quickly and then disappeared through the hole. He stood there in silence for a while, with his fists clenched together.

He had been an ass to her and she didn't deserve it, but he was so angry. He was angry at Dumbledore for not fixing anything, he was angry at the Ministry for not defeating the purebloods and the other blood fanatics who called themselves 'Death Eaters' once and for always, he was angry at everyone for not stopping all this war going on, he was angry at himself because he had taken Lily through the passageway. They would be still talking about the labyrinth now, probably making up different theories and it would be as if they were close, as if they were something like friends. But he destroyed everything with his awful temper and when he rushed in the common room, ready to apologise, she wasn't there.

_Words cut deeper than curses_, he realised.

**A/N:** I hope you liked it. I personally loved writing it. Remember: reviews are James apologising to Lily. :) (that was a very "subtle" hint so if you have thoughts, please review.)

Love,

Ria.


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